Swords and High School
by YulieAna
Summary: UlquiHime romance is taken to high school, AU universe. I put my own spin on the Shinigami/Espada conflict, and rewrote some of the classic UlquiHime moments to fit into the high school setting. Some language.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**Prologue**

It all started at the end of the first school year, when it was announced that two of the biggest rivals in the history of Karakura town were merging together. Two prestigious schools were about to become one huge academy, leaving two of their principles in charge of the new war zone. The senior year has just begun, but the new campus was not filled with anticipation and excitement. The air was heavy with anxiety.

While the students showed astonishment, confusion, and resentment, that they were thrown in together with the enemy, the two new headmasters were quietly sipping sake in their shinny office. No, it wasn't the beginning of a life-long friendship; it was a truce to see whose group would crack first. Aizen Sosuke and Urahara Kisuke looked at each other smiling slyly. _Let the games begin._

**Chapter 1**

"Just look at them! Those cocky bastards." Ichigo stormed, looking at the group sitting on the other end of the cafeteria. "What kind of name is it anyway? _Blades_. Sounds like a failed title for a kung fu movie." He and Renji let out loud chuckles that caught attention of everyone around them.

Blades, that's what the rivals called themselves, finally heard the ruckus and looked around, in the midst of it noticing Orange Hair and Tattoos talking loudly and periodically turning their heads into their direction. There were two girls with them. The busty redhead just stood quietly and listened, while the skinny brunette enthusiastically joined in the conversation.

"It's been a while and you're finally noticing?" Rukia laughed. "It's no less retarded than _Reapers_. I can't believe you actually talked me into joining you."

Before Ichigo could retaliate with a brilliant comeback, Renji interrupted him.

"C'mon, cuz, it's not so bad. Rivalry cannot be fun without a badass introduction…"

"And it's that _badass introduction_ that always gets you in trouble!" she teased.

"Hey, it's not my fault they always pick fights with us…"

"_They? _What about the time when the two of you snuck out in the middle of the lunch break and ran off to their school to _supposedly_ defend my honor?"

"Nnoitra was acting like a douche bag. I didn't like the way he was talking about you." Ichigo said. "You can kick as much ass as any girl in their group."

"I bet you _really_ made them change their minds."

"Maybe not, but at least we did some serious ass kicking."

"Evidenced by your cuts and bruises…" Rukia laughed, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"What a pain in the ass…" Ichigo said half-seriously, grabbing her by the shoulders and bringing her into a bear hug.

Orihime turned away to let them have their moment of intimacy, letting her thoughts trail off to the group four tables away from them. Big teeth with an eye patch was saying something to Glasses with bleached pink hair. A beautiful girl with a big chest and long wavy locks stood next to Eye Patch, eyeing him wearily. _Nnoitra, Nel, Szayel._ She's seen them many times before, but they haven't so much as exchanged two words with each other. The only thing she knew about them was that Nnoitra tended to act like a chauvinistic pig, Nel was his girlfriend, and Szayel was the president of the science club. Other than that, the past five years were nothing but a never ending struggle in academics, sports, ego trips, and stares. Guys in both groups were the best students in their respective Kendo clubs, and constantly competed with each other. As a result, out-of-school fights were inevitable. What was worse, fights were escalating, and they were nothing like the "friendly" Kendo competitions. Everyone used real swords and often got hurt, which made her worry even more.

Orihime was so deeply lost in thought that she didn't notice the punk with bleached blue hair, another member of their group, turning around to glace into her direction, then swiftly elbowing the guy next to him. She was finally brought out of her trance by a pair of green eyes meeting hers. The boy kept looking at her without turning away. He was pale and slender, with jet black hair barely going past his shoulders, standing completely straight, with hands in his pockets and an expression of absolute indifference. Despite being the smallest in the group, he still managed to have an air of authority about him. _Ulquiorra._ Orihime blinked twice, and turned away in embarrassment. He never changed. Always so disinterested, always hands in his pockets.

"Looks like they've finally noticed us." she heard Ishida approaching from behind.

"Yeah," Renji said, turning to Orihime. "Your _boyfriend_ seems to be finally paying attention."

Her blush deepened, "He is not my boyfriend!" she giggled nervously.

_He is not my boyfriend. Even as a joke it isn't funny. How could I ever date someone like him? He is as cold as ice._

Orihime liked Ichigo since the 8th grade, everyone noticed except for Ichigo. Of course he didn't notice. He didn't notice any girls since Rukia transferred to their school with her cousin Renji, and took the Reapers by storm. Rukia, her rival, her friend. After finally realizing, despite her best efforts, that Ichigo will never see her the same way he saw Rukia, Orihime finally decided to give up. She spent an agonizing summer, full of jealousy and regret, hoping, pleading to God, and to herself, to let him go. After three months of tears and self-pity, she finally started to feel relief. And the more frequent encounters with the Blades occupied her mind with other things as well.

It was during those fights when she met Ulquiorra. Unlike Grimmjow and Nnoitra, he didn't fight very often, and preferred to stand on the sidelines and watch with his trademark hands-in-the-pockets look. But the few times when he actually fought, he showed the strength and finesse that only few possessed.

On one particular night, when he fought with Ichigo, the fight lasted for an unusually long time. They were both bleeding and exhausted. Finally, realizing that it won't be over any time soon, they decided to call it a draw until a rematch. As usual, Orihime brought enough First Aid supplies for a small army. As she was bandaging Ichigo's arm, while Rukia read him her usual "safety first" lecture, Orihime noticed Ulquiorra's lonely figure sitting under a tree a short distance away from them. _Why isn't anyone helping him? Aren't they friends? _Her compassion finally kicked in, and with the newly found enthusiasm she grabbed fresh bandages and medicine, gave Rukia the necessary instructions to take care of Ichigo, and, to their utter shock, strode off to Ulquiorra.

He finally noticed someone standing over him and opened his eyes meeting her gaze.

"What do you want?" he asked dispassionately.

"You are bleeding. Why isn't anyone helping you?"

"That is not any of your concern."

She sighed. "If they aren't helping you, then I will."

"Save _that_ for your friends." he said looking at the bandages in her hand.

"My friends are fine." she responded, sitting down next to him.

To his complete surprise she took his bleeding wrist in her hand and started bandaging it.

"What are you doing?" he asked evenly.

"What do you think I am doing? I am treating your injury."

"Why?"

"You are hurt and I'd like to help you."

Even though her words surprised him, he did not show it. _What a strange girl. I made that idiot friend of hers bleed, and here she is helping me. _He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the tree. She worked quickly and her touch was very light, it was as if she tried her best not to cause him any more pain.

As if hearing his thoughts, she finally spoke, "When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. So I can help as many people as possible. Maybe I can treat you too some day."

"You are treating me already." he said without looking at her.

"That's true, but I am not a doctor yet. I only learned this because my friends keep getting hurt."

He did not say anything. She was so strange, he still could not comprehend why she would do something like that for an "enemy". Even thought Blades were a group, none of them were truly friends. His injuries were his own problem, as everyone was mostly concerned with themselves. Ulquiorra was always a one man army.

"All done!" she interrupted his thoughts.

He opened his eyes and looked at his neatly bandaged hand. _She did a good job._

"You should probably let a professional see it." she said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'll be fine. This is more than enough." He stood up preparing to leave.

"Will you be fine by yourself?"

"Indeed I will." He turned around and started walking away from her.

"What's your name?" she called after him.

He stopped, turning his head slightly to the side.

"Ulquiorra."

After that incident they haven't spoken again, but she had a nagging feeling that he was watching her. That nagging feeling became a reality after her friends noticed it too. What's worse, they started teasing her about it, nicknaming him her "boyfriend".

Her friends' loud chatter finally caught her attention. Ichigo was laughing at something Rukia said. Orihime looked at her first love with a pang in her heart, but it wasn't as painful as before. Her love has finally started to dull. She closed her eyes, letting out a long and shaky sigh. _Enough._

_____________________________________________________________  
_

Ulquiorra sat quietly at his desk looking into space and pretending to listen to Grimmjow's latest bragging attempts. The fool would not shut up. He didn't care about how Grimmjow planned to kick Kurosaki's ass. He's been holding a serious grudge against him since Kurosaki beat him in one of the street brawls, and gave him a scar. The scar, however, did not hurt as much as Grimmjow's damaged ego.

The street fights were nothing like normal Kendo competitions. There were no safety precautions, adult supervision, or wooden swords. The swords were real and the rules did not exist. It was dangerous and illegal, but none of them ever gave a damn. The fights tested their strength and gave them a healthy dose of adrenaline. To them it was the only way to build character, a warrior's way. And since the last fight, Grimmjow talked of nothing else but how he would beat Kurosaki in the next round. However, unlike Grimmjow, whose desire to fight only continued to grow, Ulquiorra's, in return, continued to dull. A simple test of strength became meaningless to him; he wanted something more than that. Ulquiorra sighed. _When is the bell gonna ring?_

The door flew open with an explosion of giggles. He turned his eyes towards the noise and saw a flash of red hair and a familiar face. _Inoue Orihime._ She walked into the classroom smiling and chatting away with her tomboy best friend, the name of whom he did not remember, trailing behind her. He watched as she turned and started down the row towards her desk. As their eyes met, she stopped only for a second realizing that they were in the same class, before coming up to her desk right in front of his. Before she sat down, she looked at him again, slightly nodding in recognition, before turning her back to him and sitting down.

_This is unexpected_. _With so much animosity going on between our groups, she only hesitated for a second. What a strong girl._

"Well, what do you know…" Grimmjow said loudly "Who would've thought we'd end up in the same class with _their_ princess?"

Ulquiorra saw her shoulders slightly tense at Grimmjow's words, other than that she quietly ignored him.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, girl" Grimmjow came up to her and slammed his hands on her desk, making her jump in surprise. "Aren't _you_ lucky to be stuck in the same class with us?"

Orihime swallowed, wondering how far he would go. He had to be bluffing. How could he even think about picking a fight with so many people around? _I am not going to let him intimidate me._ She turned to him with a brilliant smile.

"Oh, hi Grimmjow, aren't you excited about school? Me too! Summer seemed so long and I've missed my friend Tatsuki, because we didn't get to see each other very often. And now we can study together, and eat our lunches together, and….." she continued on and on until Grimmjow's face started to contort. _What the hell is she saying? Is she stupid or something?_

"Shut up! Are you trying to play dumb with me?" He inched closer, ignoring the stares around them. "You better be careful, girl. Kurosaki ain't here to…" He came so close that Orihime started to lean backwards.

"Grimmjow..." Both of them turned their heads in surprise at Ulquiorra's voice. "You are drawing too much unwanted attention to yourself." Ulquiorra said quietly.

Grimmjow glared at him. "The hell is your problem, man? I'm just having a little fun."

"You are acting foolish. The last thing we need is to look like we're harassing women."

"_Harassing?_ She is enjoying this, aren't you girl..?" Grimmjow moved close to her again, this time grabbing her shoulder.

Ulquiorra did not like to repeat himself. Before Grimmjow could do anything else, Ulquiorra quietly stood up, grabbed him by the arm that held Orihime, and without a single word dragged him outside. As soon as they were outside of the classroom, Ulquiorra released him.

"Listen to me _very carefully_, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra spoke with deadly calmness, "We do not pick on girls. You can talk to her, you can even argue with her, but you _do not touch her_. Is that clear?"

Grimmjow was a bit surprised by his reaction. _What the hell was Ulquiorra's problem? It's not like I hurt that chick or anything._

"And who's gonna stop me? As far as I'm concerned, every single one of Kurosaki's friends is up for grabs."

"Not _everyone_." Ulquiorra said, immediately regretting it.

Grimmjow stared at him, smirking at the sudden realization.

"Oh, I get it," he finally spoke, "You want her all for yourself, don't you, you greedy bastard?"

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

"I know what happened after that fight with Kurosaki. The word spreads around fast." Grimmjow's smirk grew even larger. "She didn't just bandage your hand, she 'bandaged' your brain as well."

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra asked, not betraying a single emotion.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Grimmjow grew serious again, "If you think we didn't notice you staring at her, then you're a fool. Figure out the rest yourself." And with those words he disappeared into the classroom, leaving Ulquiorra alone in the hallway.

Grimmjow's words continued to echo in his head as Ulquiorra cast his eyes to the ground. Even though he didn't have a lot of regard for Grimmjow, Ulquiorra agreed with him on this one. Grimmjow was right, he _was_ a fool.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You've heard the news, I take it." Aizen spoke across his desk to two of his students.

"So, you've finally decided to give us some _real_ fighting, eh?" Grimmjow replied.

"Of course, this will be your grand opportunity to show the Reapers what you are capable of. But make no mistake, this time it won't be fun and games. You will use real swords." Aizen paused. "Consider this your graduation present."

"Reapers are dangerous opponents. They will not let us win easily. This will be a serious competition." Ulquiorra said somberly.

"There is plenty of time to polish your skills. Use it wisely."

"I can't wait to settle the score with Kurosaki. I owe that bastard for scarring me." Grimmjow sneered punching his knuckles together.

"And you shall, as long as you don't waste your time on petty fights and picking on their girls." Aizen pointed out.

"Whatever, I'll finally show you, Kurosaki, and the whole school my _real_ power! I'll trash him so badly, he won't be able to hold a sword ever again."

"You do that." Aizen chuckled. "But all in good time. Now, go to class."

The boys got up preparing to leave, but Aizen suddenly interrupted them.

"Oh, Ulquiorra, I almost forgot. Please, stay, we have some matters to discuss. Grimmjow, you're free to go."

Grimmjow did not bother asking any questions and left.

"As you know, this competition will not only highlight our long time rivalry, but also the end of your final year." Aizen continued. "It is essential that you, Grimmjow, and the rest beat the Reapers."

"We will do our best."

Aizen held up his hand, "_Best_ will not be enough, I need absolute and total victory."

Ulquiorra looked at him suspiciously, "Why is this so important to you?"

"Let's just say that there is a bet I do not wish to lose. And I will resort to any means necessary to insure our success."

"What are you planning?"

"I am planning to break them up, and this is where you come in."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Become friends….or more if your desire, with Inoue Orihime."

* * *

_Become friends with Inoue Orihime._ Ulquiorra stood on the roof thinking back to his last conversation with Aizen. He did not expect him to go this far. _You sly bastard._ Aizen knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to break the Reapers' resolve, cause friction between them, divert their attention away from the competition, and lower their morale. And what could be better than having one of theirs becoming friends with a Blade? The man was crazy and absolutely brilliant.

His thoughts trailed off to the girl. Since their first encounter, she always managed to find a way back into his head. Her attitude both surprised and fascinated him, he'd never met anyone who was so passionate and sympathetic. To hell with the fact that he was her supposed enemy, or what her friends thought. She had her own way of doing things, which had nothing to do with either him or Reapers, and that caught him completely off guard. Yes, he will become friends with her, maybe even more. Ulquiorra was painfully aware of his growing interest for a very long time. But he will do it for himself, not anyone else, especially Aizen.

* * *

Orihime climbed up the stairs wearily. Sharing classes with Grimmjow proved harder than she thought. What was worse, she had Ulquiorra breathing down her neck. _Well, at least he isn't as aggressive as Grimmjow. No, he isn't aggressive at all, he just seats there playing the good student. Why is he always so relaxed? It's like he doesn't even care about what goes on between all of us._ She finally reached the door and came out on the roof. Her face fell. Ulquiorra was the last person she wanted to see. Having him around her for hours at a time was enough. Why wasn't there a place where she could just be alone? Then she saw Ulquiorra turning around half way, and finally noticing her. Running away would've been foolish. It's not like she was avoiding him or anything. Orihime sighed and started walking towards him.

They stood next to each other in silence, watching the people down below. A few minutes passed until he finally spoke.

"Have you heard?"

"Heard about what?"

"There is going to be a fighting competition before our graduation. We will be using swords."

"You always use swords."

"We only use the real ones outside of school. And that's how this competition is going to be."

Orihime gasped. "Are you serious?"

He nodded.

"This isn't right! You already hurt each other enough on the streets, and now you're taking your war to school? I'm going to talk to Principal Urahara, he will do something about it."

Before she had a chance to leave, he caught her arm, and turned her around to face him.

"It has already been decided. Both Urahara and Aizen support it. There is nothing you can do." he said looking her straight in the eyes.

"But…" Her head was spinning. _This isn't right. This isn't right! _

Their proximity was unnerving. He was standing very close, still holding her arm. As if sensing her discomfort, he let her go and turned around to look through the fence. A few seconds ticked until he spoke again.

"Are you scared?"

She considered his question. _Scared of what?_ Ichigo and Renji were as good at fighting as him and Grimmjow. She wasn't afraid of them losing, she was afraid of them getting hurt.

"Yes, I am." she finally answered. "But not because we might lose."

Ulquiorra knew exactly what she meant, as he remembered their first conversation when she said she wanted to help people. She obviously hated seeing them hurt. But what did she expect from him? Comfort? Lying wasn't one of his strong suits.

"There will be no mercy." he turned his head looking down at her intensely. "We will go all out, they _will_ get hurt. You should be prepared."

He expected her to get angry, cry, object to his cruel declaration. But what he got was the opposite. She smiled sadly and met his eyes.

"But they will hurt you too."

He did not reply. She confused him. Her compassionate nature irritated him. She should've been mad, yet there she was sympathizing with him….again. She was truly amazing. He didn't know what to do with himself, with his raging emotions. She was getting to him and he was falling hard.

"Meet me by the gate after school." was all he said before turning around and heading for the exit.

She was about to protest but he suddenly stopped and tilted his head sideways.

"I will be waiting." he said with finality and disappeared.

* * *

The bell finally rang and students started pouring out of the school. Orihime was nervous. Did Ulquiorra really mean what he said? What was she supposed to do? Abide by his request? It was more like an order, than a request. What if her friends saw them leaving together? What would they think? This wasn't good at all. Orihime did not want to leave. _What if I sneak out?_ A million different ideas started racing through her mind. _But then again, I can't let him think that I am a coward and make Reapers look bad._ She sighed and started heading towards the door.

"Hey Orihime!" she heard Rukia calling from behind. "All of us are going out for some ice cream to that shop you always wanted to go to."

Orihime smiled but shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I am busy right now."

"Eh? What do you mean? You've been bugging us to go there for weeks!"

"I know, but I've already made plans for tonight." Orihime replied apologetically. "Tell everyone that I'm sorry. We'll do this some other time, ok?"

Rukia looked at her suspiciously then beamed. "Do you have _a date_?"

Orihime giggled nervously, "No, no! What makes you think that? I've just already made plans with Tatsuki. I have to go now, ok? I'll see you later!" and with those words she quickly dashed out of the classroom.

Rukia stood there for a few moments contemplating. _That was strange._

_

* * *

_Orihime ran out of the building stopping for a moment to catch her breath. _That was close. I hope Rukia wasn't suspecting anything. But I can't worry about that right now. I have another problem to deal with._ She looked towards the gate hoping he wasn't there. She wasn't that lucky. Ulquiorra was definitely there, his school bag hanging across his shoulder, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall. She slowly started walking towards him. He finally noticed her and kept his eyes locked with hers. When she came face to face with him, she was nervous with anticipation.

"What took so long?" he asked sternly, "I was about to go looking for you."

"My friends invited me to go out. I had to make an excuse."

"What was your excuse?"

"I said that I've made plans with Tatsuki."

He looked at her for a few seconds. She could've sworn she saw a flash of annoyance on his face.

"I see." he finally spoke "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't ask me any questions." he said coolly, then turned around and started walking.

"Hey!"

"Come with me."

She had no other choice but to follow him.

* * *

Orihime was confused and a little bit scared. She had no idea where he was taking her. Ulquiorra walked with long and purposeful strides just fast enough for her to keep up with him. She tried to read his face for any clues, but it remained perfectly unperturbed. _I wonder if he is good at poker._ Her thoughts continued to wander until they reached the top of the hill.

"Do you like it?" he broke her thoughts looking straight ahead.

"Do I like….what are you talking…?" she caught her breath.

He brought her to the ocean _and_ to see the sunset. Not very original, but she still giggled with delight.

"Do you like it?" he repeated, now looking at her.

"Of course I like it! What girl wouldn't like to witness the sunset at the beach?" She started walking towards the ocean, not realizing he wasn't following her. She turned around looking at him uncertainly "Come on! You brought me here, don't be lingering behind now." She laughed and continued walking. Too bad she didn't see a slight smirk appear for just a second, before he followed after her.

They sat on the sand watching as the last sunlight disappeared from the sky.

"This is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here." she spoke.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"I told you I did." she looked at him "You know, Ulquiorra, you are the last person I would've ever imagined to come here with."

"Why is that?"

"I always thought I'd see the sunset with a boy I liked."

"I see." he paused "Why didn't you ever come here with anyone?"

Orihime tensed a little. Should she tell Ulquiorra about Ichigo? But she didn't know him very well. Nevertheless, he didn't seem like the type who'd judge her or go around telling people. Even though he was one of the Blades, strangely, she felt comfortable around him.

"Because he never liked me back." she finally said.

"Do you still like him?" his voice sounded different, almost sad.

"I don't know anymore. I've decided to give up on Ichigo a long time ago. I could never compete with Rukia."

"Kurosaki is an idiot after all."

"He just never found his heart in me."

"Heart…" he paused "Does such a thing really exist?"

Orihime shivered. It was getting cold and this conversation touched on a sore subject. "The heart always exists, all you need to do is find it."

"Have you found yours yet?" he asked her quietly.

"I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure." She got up from the cold sand hugging herself for warmth.

Ulquiorra stood up noticing her shiver. Without a word he took off his jacket and brought it around her shoulders. His hands lingered on it, as he looked down at her searchingly. They were standing close again. Having her so near brought back a flood of familiar emotions. What the hell was he doing? Even without Aizen's manipulations, she was still completely out of his reach. Reapers will never allow them to have any semblance of a relationship, and Blades will only thank them for it. This "friendship" was only a cover up. After the competition everything will be over and he knew it. But still…

"Ulquiorra?" she was looking at him expectantly.

"It's getting late. I'll take you home." he said, taking his eyes away from hers and finally releasing his jacket.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ok, I took Orihime out of character, but I don't care. I hate her damsel-in-distress syndrome and the Kurosaki-kuning._

**Chapter 3**

Orihime was sitting on the grass picking at her food. It's been hours since her last meal but she wasn't hungry. Last night's events confused her. It's not that she wasn't thankful to Ulquiorra for spending time with her and taking her loneliness away, if only for just a few hours, but she felt both confused and nervous by his behavior. One minute they were sitting and talking, the next she was face to face with him wearing his jacket. That gesture made her happy and apprehensive at the same time. It felt intimate, too intimate. She wasn't ready for it yet. But his jacket felt nice. It smelled of peppermint and warmth. The warmth had a smell? Orihime sighed. It was already their lunch break and he hasn't said a word to her since the first period.

Orihime felt footsteps behind her. She turned around expecting to find Ulquiorra looking down at her with his usual sternness, but it wasn't him.

"Inoue," Ichigo looked serious, "We need to talk. Urahara is waiting for us in his office."

Orihime was a little surprised by his straightforwardness. "Ok, but where are Rukia and everyone else?"

"They are all waiting for us over there."

* * *

"Hey, man, are you listening?" Grimmjow was getting irritated. Lately, Ulquiorra has been getting on his nerves. He was never much of a talker, but today he was completely ignoring them.

Ulquiorra's thoughts were interrupted as he tore away his gaze from Orihime and Ichigo retreating into the school building.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?"

"Since Aizen told you to follow that chick around, you've been acting like an ass! The hell is your problem?"

"You're exaggerating."

"You lucky asshole!" Nnoitra cut in. "That is one tasty job, I'm getting jealous."

"Psh..." Grimmjow sneered, "What's so special about it? He's just following one broad around. Boring!"

"You gotta give him some credit, Grimmjow. A hot girl like that needs a lot of attention." Nnoitra gave a nasty smirk, turning to Ulquiorra "How far have you taken your 'friendship' already?"

"You are one disgusting bastard." Ulquiorra said getting off the grass and walking away. He heard an explosion of laughter behind him.

* * *

"I am sure all of you are aware of what is going to happen at the end of the school year." Urahara said seriously "Aizen and I've decided to hold a swordsmanship competition before your graduation."

"I don't get it." Ichigo replied "Why can't we just have a normal fight, like we usually do, and be done with it?"

"That's the whole point." Urahara answered, "Those fights are never _normal_. You don't follow any rules, you just do what you have to in order to win." He got up from his chair and looked out of the window. "Aizen has always been planning some big showdown to culminate your graduation. He desires respect and recognition, and I always knew that. So, the best thing to do was to make it into an official contest, instead of some petty street fight." He looked back at the kids standing in his office. "You think Aizen gives a damn about Blades? He only cares about winning, and _I_ care about your safety." he paused, "Theirs too."

"Then why don't we just tell them what his intentions are?" Ishida asked.

"That won't do much good. The rivalry has been personal for years. You think they would just let it go and shake hands with you?" Urahara responded.

"Then I'll fight them and win, and bring Aizen down." Ichigo said with confidence.

"That is probably the best decision for you." Urahara replied.

All of them stood there in silence contemplating on what was in store at the end of the school year. Being Aizen's pawns wasn't their idea of a fair fight, but at that moment their rivalry was too deep. They couldn't change anything even if they tried.

"Now, to the next order of business…" Urahara finally spoke "Orihime, what did you do yesterday after school?"

Orihime tensed. She did not expect to be found out so soon. _I guess this was inevitable. I should've known someone would see me leaving with him._

"What do you mean, Urahara?" Rukia interjected, "Orihime does not need to explain what she does on her spare time with her friends."

"Is that so?" Urahara eyed Orihime suspiciously, "I wasn't aware you were friends with a Blade."

Orihime felt all eyes on her, suddenly finding herself in the center of attention.

"What the hell is he talking about, Inoue?" Ichigo demanded.

"Yesterday, Orihime was seen leaving the school with Ulquiorra Schiffer." Urahara informed them. "Is that not true, Orihime?"

"It is true." Orihime said, looking down with guilt.

"What were you thinking?" Rukia asked angrily, "And you lied to me!"

"I didn't want to! But I didn't want to tell you the truth either! I knew you'd be worried and try to stop me. It wasn't a big deal. Really! We just talked." Orihime desperately tried to defend herself, "He really isn't a bad guy! I was just lonely….and he made me feel better."

"Aren't we your friends?" Rukia demanded, "If you're lonely, why didn't you come to us?"

Orihime looked at her and Ichigo. They didn't understand, they couldn't. How could Rukia, the love of her failed love, ever understand?"I'm sorry." was all she said.

"Inoue," Ichigo said "How could you trust a Blade like that? What if he was just using you? He probably was! And what's worse, you were alone with him. What were you thinking? What if he tried to do something?"

That last bit made Orihime angry. "That's _exactly_ what he did! He tried to make me feel better!" she yelled at him, "You know nothing about him, yet you're standing there making assumptions! You know nothing about me either! Just leave me alone! All of you!" With those words she stormed out of the office.

Rukia was about to go after her, but Urahara stopped her. "Let her go, she needs to sort this out on her own. The best thing you can do is watch out for her from a distance."

* * *

Orihime was furious. She couldn't believe they would consider something like that. If they only knew what she was going through. If Ichigo knew, would he still treat her like that? Is that how they saw her – a helpless child incapable of taking care of herself? Her anger grew. She wanted to get away from them, all of them. _Run. Don't stop._

Ulquiorra was on his way back to class when he noticed a familiar mane of red hair disappearing around the corner. _The_ _class is about to start. What is she up to?_

Orihime ran and ran until she was completely out of breath. She finally stopped and realized she was at an empty lot behind the school. Nobody was here and nobody was coming after her. She was a little relieved and a little sad that she lashed out on her friends like that. She closed her eyes, leaning against the wall and slowly sinking to the ground. What was she going to do now? Her friends probably didn't trust her anymore. Should she be worried?

"What are you doing?" A familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Her eyes flew open. Ulquiorra stood a few feet away from her, hands in his pockets, looking at her questioningly.

"Nothing much." she gave a little laugh.

"You are skipping class."

"I didn't feel like going."

Ulquiorra looked at her for a few more seconds, then came up and sat next to her.

"You shouldn't have come. You'll get in trouble." Orihime said quietly.

He ignored her last comment turning to face her. "What happened? I saw you running here all the way from the main building."

"My friends found out.." she hesitated "…that you and I left together the other day."

"I see."

They sat together in silence, looking into space. Orihime noticed the difference between Ulquiorra and her friends. Unlike them, he never bothered her with incessant questions or demanded explanations. He was just there, intruding on her during the toughest times, keeping her company. And she was grateful. _How ironic._ _The person I should avoid brings me the most relief._ But Ichigo's words still bothered her. Ulquiorra was still a part of Blades. What if Ichigo wasn't completely wrong?

"They think you could be using me to get to them." She said gravely. "Why are you here, Ulquiorra? Tell me the truth."

He hesitated for a moment, turning away and closing his eyes. "So I can be with you." Was all he said.

Such a huge declaration sounded so simple coming from him, so natural. Orihime couldn't imagine anyone saying those words so effortlessly. For the first time she really looked at him. Lean body, green eyes, long black hair. _He is really handsome._ Orihime caught her breath when his eyes met hers again. She was mesmerized, she couldn't look away, she _wouldn't_ look away. Without thinking she brought her hand to his face and touched his cheek.

"Don't." He whispered.

Orihime didn't hear him. She trailed her fingers down his face, his neck, touched his hair. She suddenly realized his face was very close to hers. She saw a myriad of emotions - tenderness, desire, anger, love. Love? _Heart…does such a thing really exist?_ His words rang in her head.

"I see it…" Orihime whispered.

There was a hint of confusion on his face.

"…your heart."

"Kiss me." He whispered against her cheek.

Without giving it a second thought she encircled her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. Softness, warmth, love. That's what he tasted like, so different from his surface image. She couldn't understand how it was possible for him to keep all of that inside, under that cold exterior. This side of Ulquiorra felt so different. Orihime never wanted to leave. She felt him pulling her on his lap, crushing her against him. She shivered. He was consuming her, and she would let him, only if this warmth of his would not disappear.

The time stopped. Everything was forgotten. There were no more Blades, Reapers, petty grudges, Aizen's cursed graduation present, and Ichigo. It was just them. Two lonely hearts wrapped up as one in a moment of tenderness.

The kiss finally broke. She put her head on his shoulder clinging to his warmth. If only this could last longer. They sat in silence holding each other. This wasn't over. This will never be over.

"Look at me." Ulquiorra finally broke the spell.

She sighed but complied. _You always give me orders, even at a time like this._

"I love you."

She did not expect that from him.

"Ulqui…"

"Don't say anything." He interrupted her. "From now on there is no going back. I know what I feel and my feelings will not change. But I want you to understand that I will not allow you to disappear from my life after the competition is over, regardless of who wins. And I will not lose to Kurosaki."

She looked at the ground not knowing what to say. His tone was very serious again. She did not understand why it was such a sudden change in mood.

"Why do you have to win against Ichigo? I never thought you had a grudge against him. You aren't like Grimmjow." she replied.

"I have my reasons."

Orihime sighed. She didn't know anything anymore. One moment she was kissing Ulquiorra, the next he was talking about fighting one of her friends.

"We have to go back." He said getting up and bringing her with him.

The magic was over.

* * *

They walked back in silence, not holding hands, not teasing each other and joking, like normal couples did. Orihime couldn't take it anymore. But before she could say anything, Ulquiorra suddenly stopped and looked straight ahead. Orihime followed his gaze and saw Nnoitra heading their way. Ulquiorra turned to face her.

"This is not the place for you." he spoke quickly "You have to go, _now_."

She turned around and was about to leave, but he caught her elbow and added. "I meant everything I said back there. Do not forget it."

She nodded without meeting his eyes and started running.

"Well, well, well. Look who is here!" Nnoitra sneered "I see you aren't wasting any time with that pet of yours?"

Ulquiorra ignored him and started walking away. But before he could take the next step, he felt Nnoitra's hand on his shoulder.

"Not so fast. Aizen wants to see you. Now."

* * *

Ulquiorra stood in the middle of Aizen's office expecting a full interrogation. He knew full well what Aizen will ask him about, his and Orihime's relationship. And Ulquiorra knew exactly what he had to tell him. Not a damn thing. Whatever happened between them today was not part of the plan. His job was done. He got Orihime close to him as Aizen wanted. How he did it did not matter. The conflict within the Reapers was approaching.

"How is your relationship with Inoue Orihime progressing?" Aizen asked.

"We communicate on a regular basis."

"And?"

"She considers me her friend."

Aizen narrowed his eyes at Ulquiorra's conciseness. He expected a more thorough report. But it didn't matter, the Blade has done his job. Reapers were already in conflict because of Inoue Orihime's and Ulquiorra's latest escapades. Aizen was satisfied for the time being.

"Very well." he said "From now on you're to concentrate on your training. I expect all of my Blades to be in top shape at the competition."

"I understand."

"You are free to go."

Ulquiorra exited the office and started walking towards his classroom. His agitation grew, but he did not betray a single emotion in front of Aizen. Calm and composed he stood in front of him, perfectly resolved to act on his own accord. He knew what he wanted now and he will not let Aizen or any of the Blades or Reapers get in his way. Inoue Orihime will not be anyone's other than his.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Rukia could not concentrate on her homework. The problem with Orihime bothered her. That Ulquiorra guy must've really done a number on her. But then again, Orihime might've been a bit clumsy at times, but she was never dumb. Then why was she so sure about him? Could it be that she actually liked him? Rukia shook her head. _This is crazy, all of it._

"Hey, stop daydreaming!" she heard Ichigo from across the table.

"It's not like it doesn't bother you too!"

"Of course it does. I have no idea what's going on with her."

"I wonder…" Rukia sighed. "Maybe we don't see something that she does."

"Girls are weird." Ichigo said scratching the back of his head.

"Shut up, you moron."

"What did you call me?"

She dismissed Ichigo's last outburst and looked at him seriously, "We need to fix things with Inoue as soon as possible. It's not the time to be fighting with friends."

Ichigo gave an exasperated sigh. "I know, but it bugs me that it had to be Ulquiorra. The guy is a freaking ice berg. Through all the years that I've known him, I've never seen him show much emotion towards anything or anyone. Let alone a girl. And now _this_?"

"But you gotta admit, he has been giving her the looks since almost after our schools merged." Rukia paused. "Maybe we should try talking to her about it. There could be something we are missing."

Ichigo looked at her wearily but did not object.

* * *

Orihime was restless. The latest events with Ulquiorra set her mind in disarray. Having to kiss him was completely unexpected. She definitely did not plan it, it just happened. His little orders always seemed to work on her, she didn't have the power to refuse him. And then this confession took her by storm. _He loves me. _It felt so wonderful to finally be loved. And kissing was even better than she's imagined. This kind of intimacy was absolutely new to her, and she felt butterflies in her stomach from just remembering it. Ulquiorra made her feel things, strange things, things she couldn't comprehend yet. Then she remembered his sudden mood change and unusual desire to fight with Ichigo. She didn't like it one little bit, his behavior was just too weird.

Her thoughts trailed off to her friends. She will have to make amends with them. She will make them see beyond the rivalry and hopefully understand her feelings. _Her_ feelings. Her feelings were too complicated to make anything out of them yet.

"Inoue!"

Orihime turned around and saw Ichigo and Rukia walking behind her. Her uneasiness grew, but so did her resolve. She smiled and waved enthusiastically.

"Long time no see! How've you been?" Rukia smiled, as they finally approached her.

"I've been better. I've missed you guys." Orihime said, trying to sound cheerful.

"We missed you too, right Ichigo?" Rukia gave him a shove.

Ichigo nodded. "Listen, Inoue. We are sorry about the other day. We should've trusted you more."

"That's really no big deal!" Orihime said sheepishly. "I also said a lot of things I shouldn't have."

"We are just worried about you." Rukia said "We never really expected this turn of events. How did it happen…with Ulquiorra I mean?"

"Well, we just kind of started talking. He isn't like the rest of them." Orihime smiled wistfully. "I always saw him alone, it's like he doesn't want to be found. Sometimes I wonder if he even wants to be a part of the Blades."

Ichigo and Rukia exchanged glances.

"I really think there is more to him than what you see." Orihime finished.

"Inoue," Ichigo responded thoughtfully. "What you told us might seriously complicate things. We really don't want to see you getting hurt, but we can't tell you what to do. Just be careful, ok?"

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Orihime beamed, "I'll be ok. You'll see!"

"I'm glad" Rukia laughed. "I was so worried I couldn't concentrate on the school work. I even had to ask this dimwit for help." She pointed at Ichigo.

"You little…" Ichigo grumbled.

The girls did not hear him anymore. They were too busy catching up on all the days they've missed spending together.

* * *

Ulquiorra stood with his shoulder pressed against the wall, looking out of the window. Today he will finally begin his training. It's been a while since he held his sword. He even started to miss it, the power, the adrenaline. Reapers were planning on training as well. He frowned. Kurosaki was a serious opponent who enjoyed the fight. Beating him might be a challenge.

He heard loud chatter and turned his eyes to where it was coming from. Orihime was listening to something Kurosaki said, then slapped him playfully on the arm and burst into laughter. Even though it looked like a friendly gesture, Ulquiorra was annoyed by the familiarity of it. The way she behaved in front of him, the way she looked at him gave Ulquiorra an unfamiliar pang in his chest. He refused to believe that Orihime might still be having feelings for that guy, especially after what happened between them.

"Damn, man, you've got some serious competition over there." Grimmjow said coming up to stand next to him. "Looks like Aizen's little plan didn't work after all."

"Stay out of this, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra said coldly, without taking his eyes off Orihime.

"No way! Every time you see that chick together with Kurosaki, you go into the 'kill' mode. Who would've thought that a tough ass like you will get so jealous over a little girl?"

Ulquiorra wanted to punch him, but as much as he hated to admit it, Grimmjow was right. He was jealous. He was so damn jealous, he wanted to take his sword and go after Kurosaki, even if it meant breaking the rules of not fighting before the competition. _What have you done to me, girl?_

"What are you gonna do about it?" He heard Grimmjow ask.

"I will do nothing." Ulquiorra responded, turning around and walking to his desk.

"What a freaken liar." Grimmjow murmured, turning to look down at the group entering the building. _That chick has really done a number on you, hasn't she?_ And even though Ulquiorra did not show it, Grimmjow knew he was pissed off. But still, he was impressed by Ulquiorra's sheer will power to keep his emotions in check. Grimmjow grinned. _I'm really gonna enjoy this._

_

* * *

_The last bell finally rang and Orihime stretched happily. It was Friday and the school was finally over. She was really looking forward to the weekend. A trip to the beach sounded so nice; like that time when he took her there. _I wonder what Ulquiorra is doing after school._ She turned around and looked at him. He was just about ready to leave.

"What is it?" He noticed her staring.

"Aren't you glad it's Friday?" she smiled "I was wondering if you…"

"I'm busy." He interrupted her and started walking towards the door.

Orihime was a bit bummed by his rudeness, but didn't let it get to her. Nothing about him ever surprised her anymore. "Normalcy" and "Ulquiorra" did not even belong in the same sentence together. He always did whatever he wanted, changed his mood whenever he wanted, came and went as he pleased, and ordered her around without giving it a second thought. Still, all of that both exasperated and attracted her to him. Orihime wanted to know more about him, but those walls of his were hard to breach. She gave out a long frustrated sigh. _What am I gonna do with him?_ She really wanted to spend time with Ulquiorra. But he already left. _I wonder what kind of plans would have him leave in such a hurry. Maybe if I make a run for it, I will be able to catch him._

She ran out of the building turning her head around to look for any signs of Ulquiorra. Then she spotted him right before he disappeared around the corner. She took off after him.

"Ulquiorra!" She stopped a few feet away, breathing heavily.

He stopped but hesitated before turning around.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"I …just…thought…maybe…we….could…" She was still trying to catch her breath.

"I told you I'm busy."

Orihime was getting fed up with his attitude. Why was he so brisk with her? It's not like she was keeping him away from something important, or what she? She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He looked at her for a moment before answering. "I have practice."

"Oh really? What kind of practice?"

"_Sword_ practice."

Then it finally dawned to her. _The competition!_

She studied him for a moment but couldn't read his face. It was clouded by his usual mask of indifference.

"Are you still planning on fighting Ichigo?"

"I never planned otherwise." He answered dispassionately.

"Oh, is that so?" she raised her voice in annoyance, "Why are you so set on hurting the ones that I care about?"

_Why can't you see that I…..this is useless._

"It doesn't matter one way or the other. Everything has already been decided. I can't forfeit."

"You can't or you _won't_?"

He felt his anger rising. Why was it so important to her that he didn't fight Kurosaki? Kurosaki wasn't some helpless weakling who couldn't fight back. He didn't need her to play his champion. Yet here she was absolutely determined to stop them from fighting.

"Why are you so protective of him? He is completely capable of fighting his own battles."

"He is my friend! I don't want to see my friends getting hurt. If you actually _had_ any friends…"

"A _friend _who sees right _through_ you." His voice was cold and his eyes were burning into hers. "While you're fawning all over him, he is perfectly happy with another, probably laughing at you while you are not watching." he paused observing her reaction **"Pathetic."**

"Stop it! Why are you…?"

"I don't understand you." he cut her off "Why aren't you angry with him? Shouldn't you be glad that he will finally get what's coming?"

"Stop it!"

She was breathing very hard, and he knew she was about to snap. But he didn't care. He couldn't understand her and this bizarre attachment to Kurosaki. Why would she still cling to this man, that fool who did not want her?

"If it was me, I would laugh this whole thing off." Ulquiorra knew he was pushing it, but he had to make her see. "I would cheer for the man who is about to destroy the _trash _who looks down on me."

He saw it all. The flash of anger in her eyes, the determination, the hurt. He could've moved, pushed her aside, slapped her hand away. He did nothing.

His head snapped to the side. He didn't flinch, didn't break his composure. A second ticked before he finally realized what she's done and slowly turned his head back to her. She was panting in anger, clutching her hand to her chest. His cheek burned from the slap but he didn't care.

Ulquiorra stared down at her. He didn't understand it, any of it. Rage, jealousy, confusion were all mixed up inside of him in one ugly lump.

_I can't fucking believe this. Woman… _

Yes, she was a _woman_, _his_ woman, or so he thought. That klutzy little girl, who giggled sheepishly and stuttered at the sight of her childhood crush, was gone, replaced by _this_ woman, who had enough guts to slap him for insulting her friends, _this_ woman, who had the ability to drive him insane.

Ulquiorra couldn't look at her anymore, at that blind devotion of hers that did not belong to him. He turned around and started walking away from her. Then he stopped. He had to let her know that he will not yield.

"This changes nothing." he said tonelessly and resumed walking.

He didn't stop when he heard her sink to the ground. He did not stop when he heard her sobs. He knew she wasn't crying for him. And then he felt something snap inside.

* * *

Ichigo was running around in circles, swinging his sword, chasing after an invisible enemy. It felt great to actually be able to practice with a real katana, instead of those wooden sticks they normally used. Renji, his training partner, already left, and Ichigo was all alone in the gymnasium working out the last of his sweat. The competition was drawing closer and he was anxious with anticipation. He wanted to fight all of them, to show them his strength and how far he has grown.

He suddenly heard the door slam behind him and turned his head in surprise.

"Ulquiorra…?"

"Not bad, you remember my name."

"Are you lost? Your training hall is on the other end of the gym."

"Kuchiki Rukia showed me the way."

Ichigo frowned, "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I met her at the entrance. She pointed me into your direction."

"I swear if you touched her…"

"She left."

Ichigo didn't like this. He looked at the boy standing in front of him. He was a bit smaller than him, but his air of arrogance and self-assurance was overwhelming. He stood with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a sword. _If he thinks I'm gonna fight him right here and right now, he is insane._ Ichigo sheathed his sword and started walking towards the door. As soon as he passed him, Ulquiorra spoke again without moving.

"Where are you going?"

"I want to find Rukia." Ichigo replied, not turning around.

"I believe I told you she is gone."

"I don't care. I want to make sure she is ok."

"Stubborn, aren't you? Are you sure you don't want to fight me first?"

"I don't have a reason to fight you."

"What do you mean?"

"Even though we are rivals, you, personally, haven't hurt any of my friends."

"I see."

Ulquiorra paused for a split second. This orange haired fool was tough to crack.

"What if I told you that befriending Inoue Orihime was part of the plan to bring the Reapers down?" he said, turning his head and looking straight at Ichigo.

It worked like a charm. In a flash, Ichigo drew his sword and jumped in front of Ulquiorra.

"So you were using her!" Ichigo roared, "You really tricked her into trusting you and keeping it away from us!"

"I'm surprised. Even at the end you still had doubts."

"You bastard! She trusted you! She believed you were her friend!"

"Of course. If she didn't, it would have been a miscalculation on my part."

"You asshole!" Ichigo's temper was at its limit. He could not believe this guy could say all of these things with a straight face. _Poor Inoue, she actually liked him!_ To hell with the rules, they will finish it right now once and for all.

Ulquiorra's eyes were cold and empty. They were too empty, almost lifeless, but the only thing they did not lack is the intent to kill. Not the person, but the spirit. It was the only thing he wanted to do, and the only thing he could do. The desire to fight Kurosaki absolutely consumed him.

"**So, have you found a reason to fight me?"**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

She couldn't believe it. One minute she was happily dreaming about the weekend with Ulquiorra, the next she was slapping him across the face. What happened? How did they end up like this? Orihime didn't understand him at all. How could he be so cold and say all of those cruel things to her? She surely did not deserve it. But then she remembered his face right before he left. For just a split second she could've sworn she saw something different, before he turned around and started walking away from her. _Did I do that?_ But, why? _Why couldn't you just talk to me?_ _Why did you have to resort to this?_ And she, Orihime gave herself a mental kick, gave in to her anger and slapped him. Even though at that moment she believed that Ulquiorra deserved every last bit of it, now she was wondering if it was the right thing to do. Something obviously bothered him. _Maybe I should apologize, or at least try to talk to him about it._ But she had no idea where he was.

She got off the ground and started heading towards the gate. The school was long over and it was getting late. Maybe it was a good thing that they didn't see each other right now. It was probably better for them to calm down first. But the anticipation was only making her restless. _Where are you, Ulquiorra? _

Orihime was almost at the gate when she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart skipped a beat. _Could it be…? _

She twirled around anxiously, "Ulqui..?" and froze.

"Found ya." Grimmjow stood looking at her.

"What…what do you want, Grimmjow?"

"You're gonna come with me." He moved towards her.

"W-why?" she drew back

"I've got something to show you."

"That's ok, you can just tell me."

"Oh, you _really_ wanna see this."

"I don't think I should…"

Before she could finish, he grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her forward. She stumbled, her school bag slipped off her shoulder and landed on the ground.

"Grimmjow, wait! My bag!"

"Forget that." he pulled by the arm.

"Let me go, you jerk!" she yelled in vain as he dragged her after him.

"Shut up! At the end you're gonna thank me for it."

His grip was too strong, she couldn't shake it off. _Where in the world is he taking me?_

_

* * *

_"So, have you found a reason to fight me?"

"Looks like there is no way around it."

Ulquiorra unsheathed his sword at the sight of Ichigo's newly found determination.

"Alright then, I will make it quick." Ichigo said, "Let's go all out."

A pair of cold green eyes met his in silent anticipation.

That was Ichigo's cue. He launched the fist assault, putting all of his strength into it. Ulquiorra was a little taken aback by the sheer brutality of his attack. Kurosaki sure didn't waste any time on fooling around. But no matter, he was still too hard-headed and sloppy, going all out before analyzing his opponent's strength. Ulquiorra knew that Kurosaki had the potential to defeat him, but he wasn't smart enough or careful enough to accomplish something like that. Ulquiorra dodged the attack. The next one immediately followed. It was as powerful as the first one, but it was executed in the exactly same way. Ichigo kept hitting him head on, and Ulquiorra kept dodging.

Finally, Ichigo realized what was happening and changed his tactic. Street fights had no rules. The opponents used both their weapons and bodies to assault and defend. He swung at Ulquiorra one more time, but before he could dodge, Ichigo suddenly turned around and gave him a back kick in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. _That's oughtta do it._

Ulquiorra's hit the wall full force but still managed to land on one knee.

From the corner of his eye he saw Ichigo standing a few feet away, looking down at him with an air of victory. _Ridiculous._ _Does this fool really think he's won?_

"I am a bit surprised I wasn't able to dodge it." Ulquiorra said getting up. "But in any case…" he paused, "is that all you've got?

Ichigo's eyes widened. He just delivered one of his most powerful blows on this guy, sent him flying into the wall, and he _still_ wants to continue? No way! No one has ever been able to stand after this kind of attack before. Who _is_ this guy?

Ulquiorra observed Ichigo's reaction. The fool was practically shaking in bewilderment.

"Looks like it _was_ the extent of your power." he finally said, "Now, it's my turn."

Ichigo never saw it coming. One second ago Ulquiorra was down on one knee some distance away, and in next Ichigo was face to face with his drawn sword. Although, he was able to dodge it, he wasn't able to dodge what came next.

Ulquiorra was everywhere. Ichigo could not keep up with his speed. Although his blows were not very powerful, they were fast and effective. He fought like a robot, never slowing down, never betraying a single emotion. Ichigo did not remember the last time he felt so powerless in a fight. Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a fist coming his way. Ichigo dodged it, but he did not see the knee. Ulquiorra hit him in the groin and Ichigo fell down holding his injured stomach and coughing vigorously.

Ulquiorra stood over him, one hand back in his pocket, with a hint of loathing in the eyes.

"I am somewhat impressed by your enthusiasm, but it still proved to be useless."

Ichigo ignored him holding his stomach in pain.

"Surrender."

"No freaking way!" Ichigo sneered, "You're the top dog among the Blades, aren't ya? If I beat you, this competition is as good as ours!"

Ulquiorra found his audacity amusing. "Is that so? Were you planning on doing it looking like _this_?"

Ichigo glared at him.

"I will let you in on a secret," Ulquiorra continued, "offence is not my strongest ability, but even then you couldn't do much against me."

"What….?"

"You cannot beat me. And even if you tried it again a thousand times over, I will crush you just the same."

Ichigo stared at him in disbelief.

"You cannot win against me, Kurosaki." Ulquiorra said with absolute finality, "Save yourself the embarrassment, and drop out of the competition."

Before Ichigo could protest he felt something hard hitting the back of his head. The world turned to black as he fell down losing his consciousness.

Ulquiorra looked at his motionless body before turning around and slowly walking away. He's made his point. Kurosaki will not dare going against him again. The difference in their skill was just too great. _This is it for you. Give up while you still can, or I will make you regret it._

_

* * *

_"Grimmjow, stop!" Orihime pleaded, "I can't run anymore!"

"Quit your whining, we are almost there."

"I said stop!" with the last bit of strength she pulled her hand from his grip. To her surprise he released her.

"What's wrong with you?" she yelled, "you can't just _force_ me like this!"

"Shit, you're such a pain." he said in annoyance.

"Grimmjow, if you aren't gonna tell me, I swear I'll…."

…

"What do we have here?" They heard a voice behind them.

Orihime turned her head around. _Nnoitra! If being dragged around by Grimmjow was bad enough, now he is here too._

"What's going on, man?" Grimmjow greeted him lazily.

"Apparently a lot of things." Nnoitra grinned, "I see you aren't wasting any time when Ulquiorra is not around. Are you sure he isn't looking for his missing pet, yet?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Grimmjow played it cool, "We are just taking a stroll, aren't we girl?" He grabbed her by the elbow giving her a strange look.

Orihime looked at him and at Nnoitra in confusion. _What's going on between these two?_ Then she felt Grimmjow squeezing her arm in warning. She nodded.

"See? She wants to be here, now we'll be seeing you."

Grimmjow was about to pull her after him when Nnoitra spoke again.

"What should I tell Ulquiorra when I see him?"

"How the fuck should I know? Tell him whatever you want, man." Grimmjow said and started walking, yanking Orihime after him.

Nnoitra did not respond. He just stood there, with a smile frozen on his face, watching them retreat towards the gym.

* * *

The gym was dark and empty which made Orihime nervous.

"Here it is." Grimmjow pushed her into one of the training halls.

"Why are we here?" she asked anxiously.

He looked straight ahead without answering. Orihime followed his gaze. She couldn't see it very clearly but there was definitely something on the floor. She came closer and realized it was a person. Then she saw specs of orange hair. _Ichigo! _

"Ichigo! Are you alright? Ichigo!" she ran up to him and started shaking him.

Ichigo let out a soft moan.

"Grimmjow what happened to him? Why is he unconscious?"

"As if you don't know." He came up behind her.

"How am _I_ supposed to know? Who did this to him?"

"Ulquiorra."

"What?" she asked in disbelief, "Why would he do something like this?"

Grimmjow shook his head in exasperation. "You really are dense, aren't you?"

"I don't understand…."

"He _saw_ you while you were cozying up to this moron... What kind of shit were you trying to pull?"

Orihime stared at him in bewilderment.

"I don't really care about crap like this, but there is one thing I know." he said, "When you go with one guy, you don't mess around with another."

"I wasn't messing around with anyone! What are you talking about?"

"Listen, princess, Ulquiorra knows about that dumb crush of yours. The last thing you should do is get all cute with Kurosaki."

"But I wasn't…"

"Tell that to Ulquiorra."

…

"_**Tell me **__**what**__**?"**_

Grimmjow froze. _Holly shit! I didn't expect him to get here so fast!_

"So you finally came," Grimmjow turned around to face him, "Ulquiorra."

"What are you doing, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow gave him a look of complete boredom, but did not respond.

"I asked you a question."

Silence.

"Not going to answer?" Ulquiorra persisted, "Fine."

He turned to Orihime and started walking towards her. The damn woman was practically hovering over Kurosaki. Why was it always like this? Every time he tried to separate her from him, somebody or something always brought them back together. It was like a curse he couldn't overcome.

Orihime finally worked up enough courage to look at him. He was actually scowling at her! Now that she got some perspective from Grimmjow, she felt extremely awkward about being caught by him sitting here next to Ichigo. Her eyes trailed to the object in his hand. _My bag!_

"Ulquiorra," she said hesitantly, "how did you find my bag?" perspective

Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment before answering. "I was about to finally exit this damn school, when I saw it lying by the front gate." He tossed the bag to her feet. "What do you think went through my head when I found it?"

Orihime did not answer.

"Then Nnoitra suddenly shows up and tells me an interesting story. The rest is quite obvious."

"And you," Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow, "what were you doing coming here in the middle of the night?"

Grimmjow looked amused. _You mean: "What were you doing bringing my woman here in the middle of the night"? _He knew all too well that Ulquiorra was pissed off beyond reason. It made him feel good. He loved making that guy tick. _Let's make this even more interesting._

"In any case," Ulquiorra said, "Do whatever you want with Kurosaki, but I'm taking her home."

"You talk too much, man." Grimmjow sneered at him, "What's the matter, forgot Aizen's instructions _already_?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at him. _Don't you dare say another word._

"What instructions?" Orihime interfered, "What's going on?"

"The ones where Ulquiorra does not have to spend any more time with you."

"Ulquiorra, what is he talking about?"

"What, you didn't know?" Grimmjow turned to her, "Aizen told Ulquiorra to get friendly with you so Reapers would….."

"Grimmjow!" Ulquiorra interrupted him, "This is enough."

"Is it true?" Orihime glared at him.

"It is true." Ulquiorra answered without skipping a beat.

"But how could you? What about…." she did not finish. The look on his face made her stop.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said not taking his eyes off Orihime, "Do something about this Reaper, I'm taking her home _now_."

"I am not going with you!" she protested.

"You are going and that is not a negotiation."

She was furious, but arguing with him was pointless. She grabbed her bag and stormed outside.

Without another word, Ulquiorra went after her.

After they disappeared, Grimmjow let out a roar of laughter. This was great. The shit has finally hit the fan. Ulquiorra was cornered!

Then he heard Ichigo moan again.

Grimmjow looked down at him. "It's about fucking time you woke up, dumbass."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Stop following me!"

Silence.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Ulquiorra continued walking next to her not saying anything, and not looking at her.

"Argh!" she exclaimed in frustration, increasing her step to walk ahead of him.

Ulquiorra did not budge.

_I can't believe him! He tricked me! He lied to me! And what's worse I actually believed that he ….I'm such a fool! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!_

"Who do you think you are?" Orihime turned around glaring at him, "I am sick of your manipulations! You lie to me! You beat up my friend for no reason! You boss me around all the time! What is _wrong_ with you?"

Ulquiorra stopped in front of her.

"I never lied to you." He said quietly.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" She covered her ears in disgust, "I can't believe this! I was _there_! I heard what Grimmjow said and you _confirmed_ it."

"It doesn't matter. I told you, I _never_ lied to you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"My feelings are real. Nothing has changed."

"So, am I actually to believe that you…that you…"

"That I love you." he finished for her.

Orihime looked at him in disbelief.

"You really are something." she finally spoke recovering her composure, "You approached me because Aizen told you to. And I can only guess why. Then you told me all of those things just so I would trust you. And after all of that you still expect me to believe that you never lied to me? _Are you serious?_"

Ulquiorra was losing his patience. "I never cared about Aizen's plans. I only agreed because I didn't want him to compromise my graduation. Everything that I did, everything that I said came from my own desire to be with you." he hesitated, "I've wanted it for a very long time."

Orihime looked at him skeptically. "How do I know you aren't lying to me now?"

"After Aizen told me to stop this pretense, for what purpose do I need to be telling you this other than my own?"

Orihime was speechless. On the one hand, she was furious with him for going along with Aizen and coming after Ichigo. But on the other, the way he was looking at her right that moment screamed sincerity.

"I don't know what to say." she said miserably, "I am so very confused. I can't help but being angry with you."

"You don't believe me." he stated gravely.

"I want to, Ulquiorra, but the things that you do…"

"What am I to you?" he interrupted her, his eyes searching hers.

Orihime stared at him trying to come up with an answer. He made her feel many things. The entire experience was a rollercoaster. One moment she was on cloud nine imagining how they would spend their time together, the next she wanted nothing to do with him. She was aware of her growing feelings, and that knowledge terrified her. How could she be with someone who wouldn't open up and always acted on his own?

"I see." Ulquiorra drew out a sigh seeing her hesitation, "At least you're honest."

Orihime looked away.

"Why won't you say it?" There was a strange hint of bitterness in his voice.

She shook her head, "You never tell me anything. I never know where you are. When I think everything is alright, you get mad and go after my friends." she was close to tears "I don't know what to do anymore. Why can't you just talk to me?"

"Because…"

_Because I love you so much, that this jealousy is driving me insane. And I don't know what to do with myself. Because I want you to stop chasing after Kurosaki and be mine._

"It's very late. Let's go." he said, walking past her.

* * *

Ichigo sat up rubbing the back of his head. It hurt like hell. But what hurt more was the realization that he lost to Ulquiorra so miserably. He trained so hard and for so long, yet, the result was a huge bump on his head.

"Shit, he really messed you up." Grimmjow said, looking down at him.

"Shut up."

"What are you gonna do now?"

Ichigo did not answer.

"Wanna fight?"

Ichigo looked at him incredulously, "Alright."

"You're so fucking gullible." Grimmjow laughed, "As if I'm gonna fight someone who can barely stand."

"You asshole."

"I should've gotten that chick to bandage your head or something. I heard she is good at it."

"Inoue was here?" Ichigo asked standing up.

"Sure was. You just missed them."

"_Them_ who?"

"Ulquiorra took her home."

"What? And you let them go?" Ichigo yelled.

"The hell you are on? Why the fuck should I care about who she goes with?" Grimmjow said, "But anyways, stay out of their business."

"Why should I?"

"What? Do you really have to ask? After what he did to you?"

Ichigo clutched his fist. Grimmjow was pissing him off.

"Enough of this shit. I'm outta here." He said heading towards the door.

"Hey!"

Ichigo turned around, but a second later he was on the floor again.

"That's for giving me the scar, asshole!" Grimmjow stood over him, his fist an inch away from Ichigo's face. "We still have a score to settle, don't forget that. Make sure you're at 100% at the competition. I don't want to win by a fucking default."

* * *

"How far have you gotten in your training?" Aizen asked looking at Ulquiorra.

"The progress has been acceptable. I've practiced everyday with the rest of the Blades."

"That's good to hear. I expect an absolute defeat from the Reapers, especially that boy Kurosaki."

"Kurosaki will not be a problem. He proved to be a significantly weaker fighter who relies on brute strength alone." Ulquiorra said, "He failed to meet my expectations on all accounts."

Aizen raised a brow. "Is that so? How do you know all of this? The competition hasn't started yet, and you were prohibited to fight, without exceptions."

"Some things were….beyond my control."

Aizen looked at him with skepticism but did not pursue the subject any further. "Tell me, when you encountered the boy, how did it end?"

"In his absolute defeat. He did not stand a chance."

"Which means he went into training again."

"It is all useless. His style of fighting is sloppy. He will never beat me."

"That is good news," Aizen said, "All of those rumors about his strength where greatly exaggerated then. But don't get overly confident, your training still ends on the day before the competition."

"I understand."

"Good, you're free to go."

Without another word Ulquiorra turned around and left the room. It didn't matter that Kurosaki went back into training. His level of skill needed a lot more time than what they had left, a measly few weeks. Ulquiorra sighed. The competition was growing near, and so was his eagerness to cross swords with that Reaper again. Kurosaki was a fool for not heeding his warning, and he will pay for it.

* * *

The day of the competition has finally arrived. The training was over and the expectations were high. Reapers and Blades have been keeping away from each other to avoid unnecessary confrontations. And today they were eager with anticipation to finally draw their swords. Ichigo and the rest were all gathered up in front of the school to wish each other good luck.

Orihime was nervous and conflicted. She really wanted to cheer for Ichigo, but at the same time, she didn't want to see him fight Ulquiorra. After their last conversation, she's been divided between her loyalty to her friends and her confusing feelings for Ulquiorra. She felt like her head would explode if she continued to dwell on it, as she did for the past two weeks. The classes were long over, and those weeks were spent on club activities, meetings, and graduation preparations. She hasn't spoken to Ulquiorra since he walked her home, and barely seen him at school, as both Blades and Reapers went out of their way to avoid each other.

The warning bell finally rang telling everyone to go into the gymnasium. Her friends started walking towards it, but she stood frozen in place. _If they notice me gone, they would think we were separated in the crowd. I doubt they would go looking for me._ She turned around and started walking into the opposite direction. All she wanted to do was to hide and be alone with her misery. She passed by the main building suddenly realizing what was on the other side of it. Without thinking she changed direction and a minute later found herself standing in the same empty lot where they kissed for the first time.

Ulquiorra invaded her thoughts. She wanted to know what went through his head, if he was even a little bit regretful about fighting with Ichigo, if he thought about her as much as she thought about him. _Are you scared? _He asked her once. She was scared at that moment, but she wasn't sure anymore. Ichigo has gotten very strong and there was a big chance he would win the competition. She was the last person who needed to worry about him. Why should she worry about him at all? He wasn't hers to begin with. Even Rukia was optimistic. _Are you scared?_ Ulquiorra's question kept ringing in her head. _Are you scared?_

"Are you scared?"

It took Orihime a little while to realize that the question was spoken out loud. She immediately recognized whom the voice belonged to.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked trying to get her nerves under control.

"I saw you walking away from the gymnasium. I was a little surprised you didn't go in to cheer for Kurosaki."

She did not answer.

"Are you scared?" Ulquiorra repeated his previous question.

She heard him coming up behind her. He was standing dangerously close, and she could feel his chest rising and falling against her back. However, he didn't touch her. One hand remained in the pocket, another was holding the sword.

"I am not scared." she whispered back.

"Are you serious?" he asked in slight amusement, "Your friends are about to get beaten and you aren't the least bit worried?"

"Everyone trained very hard for this. The best I can do is believe in them and their abilities."

"I see."

They stood in silence for a few moments. Then she felt his breath against her ear.

"What is it that you want?" he whispered.

She drew a long painful sigh. "I want for everyone to be alright. It breaks my heart to see them hurt."

_The heart… _He considered her words for an instant before speaking.

"Tell me the one thing I need to hear," he said softly, "and I will drop out of the competition."

Orihime felt a shiver running down her spine. He wanted her to tell him that she loved him.

"Have you found your heart?" he asked.

_It's the same question that you asked me at the beach._ Orihime closed her eyes. Why did it always end up like this? Normal couples went on dates, spent time together, talked to each other, and then the confession came naturally. But with them it was always anxiety, uncertainty, and pressure.

"Is it somewhere here?" he gently pressed a finger against her forehead. "Or here?" he trailed it down the side of her face, neck, stopping at her chest.

Orihime gasped at his boldness and the tingling pleasure his touch left on her skin.

"My eyes see everything," Ulquiorra refused to give up, "but you continue to elude me. Why is it impossible for me to catch you?"

Silence.

"I need you to say it." he persisted, his voice getting a bit louder. "Have you found your heart?"

Before she could respond, they heard a noise behind them. Someone was coming.

Ulquiorra turned his head in the direction of the footsteps. _Kurosaki. _

He was right.

Ichigo came running from around the corner, with a look of annoyance, and a sword in his hand.

"Get away from Inoue." He said angrily.

"I plan to." Ulquiorra responded turning around to face him, "My job is to fight you. Aizen hasn't assigned me anything else."

"Oh really? I am a bit shocked," Ichigo responded, "The competition has already started, but you weren't there. Then someone told me they saw you going this way."

"It didn't take you long to find me." Ulquiorra drew his sword, "In any case, no rules say we cannot fight here. And you're a nuisance I plan to defeat."

"Ha! I'm surprised," Ichigo laughed, "I didn't think you'd take your sword out so fast. Does it mean you see me as an equal now?

"At the very least, I see you as someone who must be beaten."

"That's good enough for me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ichigo launched himself at Ulquiorra with such a force that the Blade had to take a few steps backwards until his back hit the wall. Nevertheless, the attack was successfully parried and returned with a kick. Ichigo evaded it and swung again making Ulquiorra jump into the air to get out of the way. Swing. Dodge. Swing. Dodge. The same sequence continued without either opponent gaining the upper hand.

Then, Ichigo noticed Ulquiorra changing his approach. He decided to use the same technique with which he defeated him in the previous fight. Ichigo saw the knee, but before it was able to connect with his stomach, he successfully blocked it.

"Hm, you're able to block that attack now," Ulquiorra observed, "You have gotten stronger. Is it because of the training or because of her?" He tilted his head stealing a glance at Orihime.

"That girl," He continued, "has no loyalties to the Reapers anymore. Even if you manage to convince her to go back with you, nothing will change."

"That's not for you to decide!" Ichigo spat back.

"Perhaps, but Aizen can be very persuasive."

Orihime felt strange as she witnessed the conflict in front of her. She should've been worried about Ichigo, but she wasn't even a little bit. She wanted to believe it was because of her confidence in his strength, but her gut feeling told her otherwise. She looked at the two in front of her. They were so different. Ichigo was panting and sweating, his expressions changed with every move. But Ulquiorra's remained the same. He continued swinging his sword with a look of indifference, hiding his left hand in his pocket. Orihime wondered how he could do it, pretending to be so calm in a situation like this. Yet she had a nagging feeling that he wasn't. _Could it be because I never told him…?_

There was something strange about this fight. Ichigo immediately noticed the difference after he blocked Ulquiorra's knee. It felt like Ulquiorra wasn't even trying, or was he? _I can see him. I can respond!_ Ichigo saw it all: every swing, every dodge. _Just because he's drawn his sword doesn't mean he is fighting any differently._ He was actually able to predict Ulquiorra's moves before they happened! What the hell was going on? He grabbed Ulquiorra by the wrist slicing against his chest. The swing wasn't very powerful, but it cut through the fabric of Ulquiorra's school uniform leaving a bloody trail. Orihime gasped. Ulquiorra jumped back in surprise.

"You're pretty tough." Ichigo said, "But, it looks like I can read your movements better than before."

"What do you mean?"

"That other time, I couldn't read you at all. You were completely unpredictable. Your attacks were mechanical, emotionless. It felt like I was fighting a machine. But now is different. I wonder, is it because I've gotten stronger? Or something is distracting you?" Ichigo glanced at Orihime.

"Something is distracting me…?" Ulquiorra followed his gaze, "I see."

He turned his attention back to Ichigo. "You must really feel good about being able to keep up with me, even at your skill level."

Before Ichigo could respond, Ulquiorra swung his sword at him. Orihime noticed a sudden difference in his movements. Ulquiorra's expression changed from apathy to a scowl. His movements became faster, angrier. One moment he was in front of Ichigo, the next he suddenly appeared from behind.

Orihime gasped. _Oh no! Don't!_

"Ichigo! Behind you!" she yelled.

Ichigo reacted immediately, turning around and parrying the attack. Orihime saw a flash of anger across Ulquiorra's face, then he suddenly stopped attacking and looked at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked. And although his composure remained perfectly calm, Orihime could not take her eyes away from his. They were livid.

"Wha-..?" she murmured in response.

"I am _asking_ you." Ulquiorra pressed on. "Why did you help him? _Why_?"

"I…"

"Because he is your friend? Then why didn't you do anything from the beginning? You were clearly hesitating."

Orihime watched him in puzzled bewilderment.

"You don't know? Then I'll tell you why. You…"

"_Shut up_!" Ichigo cut him off. "I don't wanna hear none of that. Stop talking and fight me!" _What's with him? The guy just can't stay focused!_

"Inoue!" Ichigo turned to her, "Thank you for trying to help me. But it's not safe, so stay back."

Orihime nodded and moved backwards giving Ulquiorra a quick glance. Even though he had his back to her, she could've sworn she heard him curse under his breath.

Ichigo went after Ulquiorra again, trying to hit him with the sword. Ulquiorra immediately picked up on the familiar technique and dodged it.

"Swinging head on again, Kurosaki? Haven't you already figured out that it doesn't work against me?"

Ichigo ignored him, quickly changing positions and delivering a back kick. Ulquiorra did not flinch. _Now he is trying to use that martial arts technique together with the sword again. Clever, but still not good enough._

"I see you have a new plan. But apparently you've forgotten that it did not help you defeat me the first time. This is all useless."

Ichigo glared at him. _How dare he mock me?_ He was doing his best at trying to bring Ulquiorra down, but the guy just won't budge. And what was worse, he was talking down to him! Ichigo's just about had it. _Take that you bastard!_ He launched at him again.

Orihime was getting restless. There was definitely something going on between those two. She heard their voices from a distance but she couldn't tell what they were talking about. But, something that Ulquiorra said clearly made Ichigo angry. She nervously hugged herself. What was Ulquiorra trying to do? Why would they even be talking during a fight? Whatever Ulquiorra said must've really ticked Ichigo off because a second later he furiously attacked him again.

Their movements were so fast and erratic, that it was impossible to keep up with them. One moment they were several dozen feet away, and the next they were right in front of her. Orihime tried to get out of the way but it seemed like they were following her. Ichigo was kicking and swinging with his back to her, Ulquiorra was dodging. He was all around, and Ichigo just couldn't hit him. Orihime finally backed into a wall and had nowhere else to go. Apparently, Ulquiorra noticed the close proximity and tried to pull away. But Ichigo misunderstood his movements thinking he was preparing to go around him.

While jumping backwards Ulquiorra anticipated Ichigo to come after him, but instead, Ichigo moved around swinging his sword at Orihime. She cowered in fear expecting to be hit. But before Ichigo's sword was able to strike her, it was intercepted by Ulquiorra.

"What are you doing?" Ulquiorra glared at him. _The fool didn't even see where I was going. What kind of a pathetic fighter is he?_

"I.." Ichigo was trying to recover from the shock, "Inoue, are you alright?"

"She is fine." Ulquiorra answered for her.

"Move!" Ichigo was trying to get past Ulquiorra to see for himself.

"Before you go anywhere else, you have to defeat me first."

"Shut up and get outta my way!"

…

"We were wondering where you ran off to."

Three heads turned to the location of the new voice.

"Ishida! Wha-?"

"What? Questions during the fight? A bit reckless, don't you think?"

Ichigo gave him a puzzled look.

"What, confused?" Ishida continued, "The competition has already begun. Sado went first against Nnoitra and lost by a small margin. I went next against Szayel and won. That idiot Grimmjow refuses to fight anyone other than you. So, here I am wondering why you're still at it with this guy. Any more questions?"

"I never had any in the first place." Ichigo grumbled back, "You're the one who wouldn't shut up."

Ishida was a bit baffled by his response.

"Anyway, now that you're here, take Inoue back with you. She isn't safe here."

"I would've done it even if you hadn't asked." Ishida's gaze switched to Orihime, "Let's go, Inoue."

Orihime didn't want to leave. She was worried that if she left Ichigo and Ulquiorra alone, they might actually try to kill each other. Both of them already looked exhausted. But, she did realize that, after what happened, her being there was still a bad idea. It wasn't safe and she was distracting them. Orihime slowly got up and followed Ishida. As soon as they turned around the corner, Ichigo's attention went back to Ulquiorra.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ulquiorra. Let's continue."

* * *

They were walking back in silence. Orihime's head was occupied with the thoughts of Ichigo and Ulquiorra. There was something bizarre about that fight. It was constantly interrupted by them stopping and talking. At the end, one of them would get angry and ignite even more animosity. It didn't even seem like the fight was about the competition anymore.

"Inoue…."

She did not hear Ishida say her name.

_Dimmit, she is still thinking about that fight. What should I say to her? "I'm glad that you're ok?"_ _It doesn't seem like she even wants hear it._

"Don't worry. Kurosaki will defeat him."

Orihime nodded without looking at him.

"If you're worried about the fight," Ishida continued, "I'm sure it will…."

"You don't have to say it." she cut him off. "I am fine, really." _I don't want for either of them to win. I just want them to stop and leave each other alone._

Ulquiorra was behaving oddly. She knew very well that he was capable of beating Ichigo, since he knocked him out the other time. So why won't he fight him for real? Instead, Ulquiorra was just jumping around and dodging the attacks. It looked more like taunting than anything else. Orihime had a bad feeling about it.

"Ishida, I'm sorry, but I have to go back."

_I should've known she'd say that._ Ishida cursed to himself_._

"Please tell Rukia not to worry!" She turned around and started running back.

Ishida stood for a moment blinking in her direction. _I think I'm gonna regret this._ Then he took off after her.

* * *

"Come at me again with your best attack."

Ichigo smirked. "You asked for it."

He ran up to Ulquiorra trying to use the attack combo again. Ulquiorra easily dodged it and came back punching Ichigo in the face. Then he suddenly appeared from behind slamming his knee in his back. Ichigo went flying forward crashing to the ground. It took him a few moments to recover before he spoke again.

"What is going on?" Ichigo asked panting, "Before, you didn't do much but jump around and dodge. What the hell's just happened?"

"That's your biggest problem, Kurosaki. You underestimate you opponent by showing all of your strength at once. You are too sure of yourself. That is why you are weak." Ulquiorra answered coming around him. "During this entire fight I was holding back." He leaned over him. "But not anymore."

Ichigo starred at him in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?

"Should I show you my real power now? Get up!"

Ichigo complied moving a few feet away from him. _What is this freak talking about? _

Ulquiorra raised his sword pointing it at Ichigo. "Don't break your stance. Stay aware of your surroundings. Don't let your guard down for a second. I will not go easy on you."

"You're bluffing!"

Ulquiorra responded with swinging his sword at him. Ichigo was barely able to dodge it before he saw Ulquiorra's fist again. But this time he was able to partially stop it by crossing his arms in front of his face.

"You have impressive reflexes." Ulquiorra said, "if you hadn't blocked that attack, you would've been laying there unconscious."

Ichigo couldn't believe it. One minute he was having everything under control. The guy couldn't seem to deliver one single attack without defending himself, and right now he was winning! _Why is he suddenly so fast? This is impossible! What the hell is going on with this guy?_

"Even though your skill has noticeably improved, and you can withstand some of my attacks, I can still easily shatter your offense." Ulquiorra raised his sword, "Too bad!"

Ichigo desperately tried to defend himself barely escaping Ulquiorra's sword. Ulquiorra was a completely different person now – too fast, too strong, too brutal, completely devoid of emotion. Ichigo felt desperation starting to build up. Was he really going to lose?

"What are you waiting for?" Ulquiorra frowned at him, "Hit me now! Use your best techniques! Or are you giving up already?" _I'll show you how much stronger I am._

Ichigo tried attacking again with a series of kicks and swings but to no avail. Ulquiorra was impossible to hit.

"Just as I thought, you're nothing but a second rate fighter with delusions of grandeur. This is over for you, Kurosaki. Let me show you a trick I've learned during the Blade training."

Ichigo braced himself expecting a full frontal attack. However, Ulquiorra ducked swinging his leg and knocking Ichigo off his feet, then coming in front of him and slashing him on the shoulder. However, it was just a superficial cut. Ulquiorra did not intend to severely injure him, but he did want to teach him a lesson.

Ichigo gave out a yell.

Ulquiorra was standing over him, looking at him in disgust. "Do you get it now? No matter how much you train, or how similar your techniques are, the difference between us is like night and day."

Ichigo dropped on one knee flinching in pain. He knew Ulquiorra purposely did not cut him deeply, yet it hurt. He couldn't believe what was happening. The guy completely overpowered him with just one move. He felt rage building up. He didn't train for so long just so he could lose to him, this skinny prick who had more arrogance than anyone else. Ichigo slowly got up raising his sword again.

"I'm telling you it's useless!" Ulquiorra yelled punching him in the stomach.

Ichigo fell backwards hitting his head on the ground. Ulquiorra approached him grabbing him by the collar and forcing him up.

"Why don't you let go of your sword?" Ulquiorra persisted, "You can see the difference in our strength. Do you still think you can beat me?"

Ichigo's had enough. So what if he was stronger? Real warriors do not give up that easily.

"Do you honestly think I should give up just because you're stronger?" Ichigo laughed. "So fucking what? Nothing I see here changes my mind. I will still defeat you, Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened for a second before Ichigo saw the side of his mouth curve in a rueful smile. _So it has come to this. Now I have to completely crush him._

"Those are just empty words, Kurosaki, of someone who's never seen defeat or despair before." Ulquiorra finally let go of Ichigo watching him fall on his knees, "So let me show you… the true meaning of despair."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Despair, eh?" Ichigo let out a chuckle, "You've gotta be kidding me! What the hell are you doing, man? Why aren't you fighting like you're supposed to? What's the deal with all this despairing and giving-up crap?"

"What kind of a fight did you have in mind? The one where I put you into a coma?" Ulquiorra answered calmly.

"The fight where you shut up and concentrate on winning! Don't you have any goals?"

"I don't care about winning this competition."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It doesn't matter to me who wins. There are far more important things that I am interested in."

"Then what the hell are you interested in?"

Ulquiorra frowned. "Teaching you a lesson for not taking what is mine."

"What are you talking about?"

Ulquiorra did not respond. Instead he leaned over Ichigo and raised his fist preparing to punch him again.

…

"Ulquiorra, STOP!"

Ulquiorra slowly turned his head, meeting Orihime's eyes. _Why did you come back? I didn't want you to see me like this._

She looked distressed, she was panting.

"So, you've returned."

"Of course I have, what do you think you're doing?"

"Getting rid of the competition." he said tonelessly.

"No you are not, this has gone too far. You don't have to beat him to a bloody pulp to win the competition."

The side of his mouth curved slightly. _Not __that__ competition, you silly woman._

"Ulquiorra…please…."

He hesitated for a second. _Damn it._ Then dropped his arm standing up and looking down at the ground. Orihime looked at his profile, his expression was unreadable. She gulped and started walking towards him. His shirt and jacket were torn at the chest and she saw dried blood on it. But Ichigo seemed worse. He had bruises on his face and was bleeding. But, strangely, she was not concerned about him. Orihime knew what she had to do. She had to put a stop to this before something horrible happened. She had to, at all costs, drag Ulquiorra away from here, never letting him out of her sight. He might protest, he might tell her to go away. But she will not give up. She could not give up. She will do it…for Ulquiorra. Ichigo had Ishida to look after him before Rukia and the others got here, but Ulquiorra only had her. Her heart swelled at the sight of him. His clothes was tattered, his sword was on the ground. She noticed blood dripping from his knuckle. But she wasn't upset or even scared of him. She felt tenderness, such overwhelming tenderness that it felt like she was drowning. _Is this love?_ Guilt overcame her. If the love he had for her was anything like this, then no wonder he was angry and hurt. She made him despair and she was disgusted with herself.

She heard Ishida from behind, saying something to her, but she did not pay attention. Everything was a blur except for the one in front of her.

Orihime finally came up to him. She quietly slid her hand into Ulquiorra's and looked at his face. He slowly turned his eyes to her. She saw confusion, anger, hope.

"Come with me." she said gently. "This is over. You don't have to fight anymore."

"Why did you come back?"

"To prevent you from doing something terrible."

"Get out of here, Inoue, we are not finished yet." Ichigo said getting up.

"You can barely stand." Ulquiorra looked at him, "You should recognize my strength and accept defeat. Yet you still think you can win."

"I don't fight because I _think_ I can win. I fight because I _have_ to!" Ichigo yelled, "Inoue, I'm gonna say it again. Get out of here!"

"No I won't! This fight is over. Ulquiorra is coming with me."

She pulled him by the hand, forcing him to follow her. They took a few steps before they heard Ichigo laugh.

"Oh, I get it." he said, "I fucking get it now, what this fight was all about."

Ulquiorra stopped and turned around giving him a look of complete indifference.

"It was because of her, wasn't it? I can't fucking believe it!" Ichigo laughed, "This entire fight was about _her_. You don't actually think she loves you back, do you?"

Ulquiorra felt Orihime squeeze his hand.

"She pities you! Because you're so _pathetic_. You think we haven't seen you staring at her? You didn't actually believe she'd notice you, did you?"

Ulquiorra did not respond, but Orihime felt him tense. She couldn't believe Ichigo was actually taunting him to get back into the fight.

"Ulquiorra, don't pay attention to him. Fighting goes to his head sometimes." Orihime whispered pulling his hand again, "Let's go."

"Inoue, why don't you tell him the truth?" Ichigo confronted her. "Tell him exactly what you think."

"Ichigo, stop it!" Orihime begged him. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"I said _tell_ him! You can't have him actually believe that you fell in love with him!"

"And why not?" She yelled back angrily.

Orihime almost did not see his reaction. Ulquiorra remained perfectly calm. If it wasn't for him tightening his grip on her hand, she would've never noticed.

Ichigo looked at her in astonishment.

"You betrayed us…"

"I did not betray anyone. I was friends with you and everyone for years, having to deal with your rivalry all this time. Now it's my turn to do something for myself."

"Let them go, Kurosaki. This fight ends now. It's not worth it anymore. " Ishida spoke for the first time.

Ichigo ignored him, switching his gaze to Ulquiorra, who looked back in triumph.

"Give up." Ulquiorra told him, "You can't win."

"The hell I can't!" Ichigo felt a new wave of determination building up, pushing him forward. He couldn't lose this fight, he _wouldn't _lose! He will win, he _always_ wins.

He started running towards them. Ulquiorra got in front of Orihime, but Ichigo jumped to his side and pushed them away from each other. It didn't do much to Ulquiorra, but Orihime fell down hitting her head on the ground. The side of her forehead began to bleed.

Ulquiorra did not miss a thing. He saw the push, the fall, the blood. _Her_ blood. For the first time in his life he started to hate.

He never really hated or even disliked Reapers before. He simply did not care. Rivals were rivals, it was all about fighting and nothing else. He never had a reason to let his feelings get involved. Then _she_ happened. And now he saw one of the people she called a "friend" make her bleed. His insides began to boil. He sensed a familiar feeling of déjà vu. It was the same as before, when she slapped him for insulting Kurosaki, then started crying for him. That made Ulquiorra snap. But what he felt right now, could not even compare. All of his self control melted away, leaving one big hole and a raw desire to destroy the bastard in front of him.

With long determined strides he came up to Ichigo, grabbed him by the jacket and rammed his fist into his jaw. He didn't need a sword anymore. His bare hands were enough to crush him for hurting her, the one woman who came into his life and in such a short time became his whole world.

Ichigo fell backwards breathing heavily. Ulquiorra was right on top of him, shoving his fists into his face. And Ichigo could do nothing but take it. Ulquiorra did not stop to breathe, or to let his injured hand rest. He kept hitting without breaking the rhythm. Primitive, emotionless, mechanical. Ichigo felt utterly powerless. Ulquiorra completely and totally overwhelmed him.

Orihime watched in horror the scene in front of her. Ulquiorra had his back to her violently punching Ichigo. Then she saw Ishida run over there trying to get them away from each other. Ulquiorra refused to listen, he was like a man possessed, intent on sending Ichigo into oblivion. Finally, by some miracle, Ishida was able to pull them apart. They stood both glaring at each other, while Ishida watched them in helpless bewilderment, getting ready for the next assault.

…

"Ulquiorra…." Orihime whispered trying to get up. Dizziness overtook her and she fell back on the ground.

He did not hear her, his body was rigid preparing to attack Ichigo again.

"Ulquiorra…" she said louder wincing in pain.

Ulquiorra finally heard her and turned around. She was crying. Whatever rage he felt at that moment evaporated in an instant. He went to her, kneeling down and taking her in his arms. Her clothes was dirty, her head was bleeding. Ulquiorra felt his chest contract. And now he made her witness the beating of her friend. The same "friend" who did this to her. Ulquiorra did not know what to say. Will she understand him? Forgive him? He buried his face in her hair.

"Don't hate me." his voice was barely a whisper.

She shook her head ignoring the pain. "I don't hate you, I could _never_ hate you!" She sobbed burying her face in his chest.

She felt him draw out a long and shaky breath. "This love is killing me."

"Don't say that!" she protested pulling away and making him look at her. "We are in it together now. The competition will be over soon and we are graduating in two weeks."

"What about your friends?"

"My friends have their lives and I have mine." She touched his cheek.

He covered her hand with his. Her hand was trembling, he squeezed it gently. "Do you remember what I told you about what's going to happen after the competition?"

She looked at him for a moment searching through her memory. _I will not allow you to disappear from my life after the competition is over._ She nodded.

"I still intend to keep my promise. After what happened today, I am not leaving you alone. If anyone ever hurts you again…"

She took his face into both hands. "I am fine." she whispered. "Let's put all of this behind us and move on."

His expression softened before he pulled her into his embrace.

* * *

Ichigo was pissed. He was irritated by the fact that he couldn't beat Ulquiorra, that Inoue got hurt, that he was completely ignored. What the hell was happening? He looked at them together. She actually let him hug her. _What the hell is going on?_ Why was Ulquiorra so strong? So impossible to defeat. It's like he went into an overdrive after Orihime fell down. Ichigo looked around him, there was something on the ground. Ulquiorra's sword. Did he actually forget about it? Did he assume that the fight was over? That he won? Arrogant bastard. Ichigo kneeled down to pick it up. What now?

Ulquiorra felt some one standing behind him_._ He turned his head sideways seeing Ichigo holding his sword. His eyes narrowed. Was that another challenge? Won't the fool ever give up?

"You dropped something." Ichigo said.

"So it seems." Ulquiorra replied letting go of Orihime and standing up.

"I need to talk to Inoue."

"So talk."

"Alone…"

"You will talk to her now or you will not talk to her at all."

Ichigo felt his anger rising. Ulquiorra didn't just beat him in a fight, he also had the guts to order him around!

"Inoue, please, come and talk to me."

Orihime was looking at the ground not saying anything. Ichigo has done enough. The last thing she wanted to do was to defy Ulquiorra right in front of him.

"Inoue!" Ichigo raised his voice.

"Now that you're finished, we'll be leaving." Ulquiorra said coldly.

"You bastard…."

Ulquiorra ignored him turning back to Orihime. "We are leaving."

She got up without a word.

"_Nobody_ is leaving." Ichigo gritted through his teeth, throwing to Ulquiorra back his sword and unsheathing his own.

Ulquiorra caught it frowning at him. _It's not that he is completely blinded by his anger, yet he still won't give up. Still thinking he can win?_ _Fine.._

"You're a fool, Kurosaki."

Ulquiorra was tired and weary, he did not want to fight anymore. Kurosaki was one persistent idiot who let his emotions get the best of him. He raised his sword preparing for the next attack. He _really_ did not want to fight. Especially after it barely started working out with that woman of his.

The metal clashed again.

Ichigo noticed a change in Ulquiorra's fighting style. His movements were no longer sharp, calculated, precise. He barely moved his sword for basic defense. Ichigo frowned. Was he mocking him again? Then he'll show him. There was finally an opening and he slashed. His sword cut through Ulquiorra's shoulder, leaving a deep wound. The blood came gashing down.

Ichigo sneered. _Payback time!_

Orihime screamed. Ulquiorra held his wound trying not to wince in pain.

Ichigo came at him again, swinging his sword. Ulquiorra continued blocking, but he felt his strength leaving him. His right shoulder was badly injured, and he was losing control of his right arm. _Shit, am I really going to lose this time? _Thenhe felt a punch in the stomach.

"Ichigo, stop! You're going to kill him!" Orihime cried.

Ichigo did not hear her. He was determined to win, at all costs. This asshole was a pain in the ass from the start, not fighting for real, holding back, looking down on him. He punched him again, making him fall to the ground. Ulquiorra did not utter a sound, did not flinch, which made Ichigo even angrier. He kicked him in the stomach again. Ulquiorra remained silent. He tried getting up then saw Ichigo standing over him.

Ichigo raised his sword as if preparing to strike. _You should be scared, asshole. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you, just gonna scare you a little._

"Kurosaki, this is enough. This is a fighting competition, not a death match." He heard Ishida behind him. "You've won. Leave him alone now."

"Shut up!" Ichigo glared at him, "It's over when I say it's over."

"Didn't you hear me? I said stop! If you continue this, you might seriously hurt him."

"He is already _seriously hurt._ One more won't make a difference."

"Ichigo, you don't know what you're doing. What's happened to you?"

"I said _shut up_!"

From the corner of his eye Ichigo saw Ulquiorra getting up. He was holding his shoulder, breathing heavily. Ichigo lowered his sword and with one swift move shoved a fist into his groin. Ulquiorra collapsed to his knees.

His vision was blurry. He lost a lot of blood. He knew it will be over soon. Then he saw Orihime running to him. She had tears rushing down her cheeks. He couldn't understand what she was saying. He dropped his sword stretching his arm trying to reach her. She extended hers in return. They were so close, he could almost feel their fingers touch. Just a little bit longer and she will be here to save him.

Just a little bit longer. Darkness was overtaking him.

He closed his eyes. Just a little bit longer. Everything went black and he fell into abyss.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

She felt like she was going in slow motion when she saw Ulquiorra's outstretched hand trying to reach her. Then, she saw him falling to the ground. Everything around her was a haze except for the boy she was trying to catch. If only she was faster. And now he wasn't moving, laying there in a motionless heap. Orihime didn't know if he was even breathing. She finally reached him kneeling down besides his broken body.

_What should I do? I thought it would be alright, I thought Ichigo will not go this far! I didn't think it would end like this! I don't know anymore! I don't know anything! What should I do? Ulquiorra! _

She suddenly turned around, her eyes moving frantically, searching for something.

"Ishida!" she screamed.

He came up to her, a grave expression on his face.

"Ishida! Please! Watch him! I'm going to get help!"

"No, I'll go. It will be quicker. You stay with him." Without another word he turned around and started running.

She turned back to Ulquiorra. He was as pale as death, with an enormous cut on his shoulder staining his clothes crimson with blood. This was all wrong! He couldn't go like this. He couldn't die on her right when she finally realized…. She brought her cheek over his face trying to feel for his breath. It was so frail, she barely found it. But at least he was alive. _Thank god! _She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her face kissing it in desperation. She will not let him go. She will fight, for both of them.

"Remember, when you took me to the ocean?" she started talking to him, "I didn't want to go. I was afraid my friends would not approve, but later I was so happy that I went. I was finally able to talk freely. You were the only one who ever listened without trying to suffocate me with over-protectiveness." she paused fighting back tears."I could never understand why you were always so strict with me, but now I know, and I wish I could tell you sooner what you wanted me to say." she paused to stroke his hair, "You always treated me as an equal, and made me feel like I could be anything around you, without being judged. It's only because of you, that I finally started to like myself."

She closed her eyes. _Please, Ishida, hurry!_

"Remember, you asked me why I never went to the beach before? It's because I was meant to go with _you_! You are the only one who ever saw the real me! You are the only one…" her voice shook with sobs, "There are so many things I wanted to share with you. Travel to different places together, stuff ourselves with many types of food, go to the same college." she paused to wipe the tears away.

"If I had five lifetimes, I wanted all of them to be with you. To fall in love with you five times, to grow old with you, to be with you….always…"

He still wasn't moving. She felt despair building up, "I was so angry when you said all of those mean things to me. I wanted you to disappear, to leave me alone. And now I will do anything to bring you back. Come back to me! You _have_ to… because I never told you…..because I still have to tell you…" she broke down crying.

Orihime didn't know for how long she was sitting there, clutching his hand to her cheek, when she suddenly heard loud commotion. She reluctantly drew her gaze away from Ulquiorra seeing Rukia, Ishida, Urahara, and other people she did not know running towards her.

"Inoue! What happened?" Rukia asked worriedly.

Orihime shook her head violently.

"Inoue! Snap out of it. We have to take him…"

"Nobody touch him!" Orihime yelled hysterically, shielding Ulquiorra with her body, "Stay away from him! Hasn't he had enough already?"

"Orihime, it's alright," Urahara put a hand on her shoulder, "the paramedics are here. He needs help, we have to hurry…"

Urahara's words seemed to work. Orihime slowly got up and let the paramedics take care of him. She watched them carrying him towards the ambulance and driving away, sirens flushing. And in a second he was gone. She starred at the place where he's just been. _Don't die._ _Please don't die._

"Inoue, talk to me, what happened here?" Rukia asked again.

Orihime's mind was going a hundred miles an hour reenacting the same scene where Ichigo slashed through Ulquiorra's shoulder, so violently, so mercilessly.

She span around glaring at him. "YOU! _You_ did this to him!" She yelled taking long and swift strides. "How could you? I thought you were my friend!" She stood in front of Ichigo panting with rage. "_This_ is the price of your victory! Are you happy now?" She slammed her fists into his chest."I hate you! I HATE you! I HATE YOU!"

Ichigo turned his face away, unable to look at her. Guilt was consuming him. He could not understand how he let his desire to win so completely take over his mind, his humanity, his self control. He was a monster, who let his instincts destroy him. A monster that deserved the worst possible punishment. Inoue will never forgive him. He's just lost one of his closest friends.

"Say something! Look at me!" Orihime screamed.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo whispered in shame.

"You're sorry, you're sorry…." she repeated his words brokenly, searching his face, trying to find an answer.

But what did she expect? She could not turn back time, where she would prevent Ichigo from turning into that _thing_ that nearly killed Ulquiorra. Her arms fell to her sides; she finally turned away from him.

"Orihime, I'm going to take you to the hospital. You need to get that cut taken care of." she heard Urahara's gentle voice. He came up and put an arm around her shoulders.

Orihime did not have the strength to protest. Her head was aching and her heart was in pieces. She nodded, and let him lead her away.

* * *

His body was heavy, he couldn't feel his right side, his head was pounding. For a moment he didn't know where he was. There was a lot of noise around him. People were talking, shouting, he even heard a woman cry. He tried opening his eyes, but his eyelids seemed to weigh a ton. He tried squinting. Everything was a blur.

Ulquiorra felt someone moving him. Where were they taking him? Should he ask? Protest? He tried moving, but his body felt tired and numb. He did not even have the strength or desire to object. Ulquiorra felt his consciousness slowly slipping away. He will ask questions some other time. But when? He didn't know. Sleep was overtaking him. He did not have the power to fight it. Yes, he will sleep for now. And maybe later, he will try again.

* * *

"How did you get those injuries, Orihime?" Chizuru exclaimed in horror.

"Uh…I fell down the stairs." Orihime answered reluctantly. She didn't really feel like explaining anything to the eager girl in front of her.

"Why do I have a feeling that you're lying? That awful cut, those bruises…." her voice trailed off as Orihime stopped listening.

It's already been two days and Ulquiorra still laid unconscious on the hospital bed. The doctors worked all night to patch him up, but due to a severe blood loss they were struggling to bring him back into consciousness. Orihime looked at his empty desk with longing. If only she knew it would hurt so much…

"Inoue…" she heard a familiar voice behind her. Ichigo was the last person she wanted to see, let alone talk to. She ignored him and went to her desk.

Seeing her reaction Ichigo put his head down in defeat. _I'm sorry, Inoue. Aside from apologizing, there is nothing I can do._

The door suddenly flew open and Rukia came running into the classroom.

"Hey, Inoue! Hey Chizuru!" She beamed, her expression changing as she turned to Ichigo. "And _you_ are coming with me!" she grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out of the classroom.

"Where are you taking me?" Ichigo asked irritably as soon as they stepped outside.

"Shut up and keep going!" Rukia replied without slowing down.

When they left the building, she finally turned around glaring at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What…?"

"After what you did to Ulquiorra, you think that little apology was enough?"

"I…"

"You think I don't know? Since that fight you haven't so much as gone to visit him at the hospital!"

Ichigo looked at the ground not knowing what to say.

"What are you afraid of? That he will wake up and throw you out?" she continued, "So _what_? You've done something horrible to him, but you can't just give up like this. If it doesn't work once, go back and keep trying! Talk to Inoue again!" she paused. "Is it scary to have your friends being afraid of you? Do you understand what you did wrong? Are you prepared to change?"

"Yes…"

"Then DO IT! Swear you will never hurt your friends _ever_ again! Get stronger, not with your sword but with your spirit! I know you can. **That is the kind of man you have been in my heart**!"

* * *

It was already lunchtime, yet Orihime felt like the school will never end. She couldn't wait for the last bell to ring so she could go back to the hospital. She stood on the roof, at the exactly same spot where she found Ulquiorra so many weeks ago, when he told her about the competition. So many things have changed since then. Some old relationships crumbled, as the new ones developed. Was she really in a relationship with Ulquiorra? Or was it just wishful thinking? She had a feeling that he probably understood what she felt for him, but still, she never told him. She longed for a closure.

"Snap out of it!" she heard a stern voice behind her.

"Hi, Grimmjow."

He came up to her, leaning his back against the fence so he was facing her.

"How is he doing?"

"Not so good. He is still unconscious."

"Damn that shithead Kurosaki."

"Would you have done it differently? As far as I know, you wanted to win as well."

"But not like that! You don't hit a man when he is down."

Orihime gave a faint smile, "I would've never imagined you had a code of honor."

"There're a lot of things you would've 'never imagined' about me." Grimmjow leaned closer, "Wanna find out?"

"What are you doing?" Orihime stepped back in alarm.

Grimmjow studied her for a moment before speaking again.

"Shit! No wonder he likes you." he grinned at her reaction, "Calm down, will ya? I was just kidding. You think I'd hit on his woman after I saw what he did to Kurosaki?"

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked in slight confusion, "Have you never fought Ulquiorra before?"

"I have once. I lost. That bastard is stronger than me, always was."

"But not strong enough to fight against Ichigo." Orihime replied with sadness.

"Bullshit! He almost had that asshole. Kurosaki just played dirty, is all."

Orihime did not respond. She looked through the fence, trying to get her raging emotions under control.

She heard the door open behind them. Someone was coming. She turned around seeing Rukia coming their way and dragging Ichigo after her. Orihime felt her insides twist. She really did not want to see Ichigo right now.

"Why did you bring this jackass here?" Grimmjow asked Rukia in irritation.

"Ichigo has something to say to Inoue."

Orihime turned away.

"Inoue, please!" Rukia pleaded.

Orihime hesitated for a moment, but complied. She looked from Rukia to Ichigo expectantly. Suddenly Rukia grabbed the back of his head and brought it down in a bow.

"He is sorry he was such an ass!"

"Inoue, I swear, I will never do something like that again." Ichigo said without bringing his head up, "What I did was unforgivable. I don't know what came over me. I promise, I will change."

"It's a little late for that, dumbass." Grimmjow looked at him with disgust.

"Inoue..." Ichigo looked at her helplessly.

Orihime was conflicted. She didn't hate Ichigo, yet she wasn't prepared to forgive him just yet, at least not until Ulquiorra woke up.

"Ichigo, " Orihime said gathering her thoughts, "we've been friends for a very long time, and I didn't always agree on the way you were doing things. But I can't get over what you did to Ulquiorra. I don't hate you, but I can't forget it either. Let's just stay out of each other's way for a while. I need time."

Ichigo nodded, completely dejected.

"There you have it!" Grimmjow cut in. "Don't come near her, you hear?" then he turned to Orihime grabbing her by the arm "Let's get outta here."

Ichigo and Rukia watched them disappear behind the door.

"Do you think it worked?" he asked her.

"I don't know. But it was a start."

* * *

"I really hate that asshole!"

"Grimmjow, slow down or let me go!" Orihime yelled. He dragged her all the way outside without even looking back. _I'll really have to make him stop doing that._

Grimmjow stopped, but hesitated for a second before releasing her. Orihime looked at him. He was panting in anger.

"Why didn't you tell him to get lost?" he demanded.

"Because Rukia wanted me to hear him out."

"Even after what he did?"

"He apologized."

"And you're just gonna forgive him?"

"Did I say I would?" _What's with him?_

He didn't answer, but Orihime saw him relax a little.

"I hate fickle girls." he grumbled.

She did not respond looked around. People started to stare making her uncomfortable.

Grimmjow tilted his head to the side. "Wanna get outta here?"

"I was planning to go see Ulquiorra."

"Then let's go."

* * *

Half an hour later they were at the hospital.

Orihime stood in front of Ulquiorra's door hesitant to go in. She was nervous and scared of the sight that awaited her on the other end.

"What's the matter with you, woman? Stop stalling!" she heard Grimmjow complain behind her.

She turned the handle and opened the door, taking a reluctant step forward.

Ulquiorra's expression was calm and peaceful. It was kind of refreshing to look at him without his usual sternness. Orihime came up to his bed and studied him intently. His color seemed to return, yet his skin was still pale, as usual. The right shoulder was heavily bandaged, with a few specks of red trying to get through.

She touched his hair and sighed, "It's about time you woke up, don't you think?"

Silence.

She sat on the chair next to the bed. Why did it always happen like this? When something started to improve, another trouble came along. Problems just kept piling up. And it had to be at a time like this, when they were about to graduate.

The conflict between the Reapers and Blades finally started to subside, probably because the competition was over. Yet, only few people were happy about it. And her relationship with her friends was on its way out too. _What an awesome time to graduate._

After they found out about what happened between Ichigo and Ulquiorra, everyone started to keep their distance, observing and waiting for the major star to return. But he still refused to budge. Right when she found him, Ulquiorra was gone again. _Even like this, you do what you want._ Being with him proved harder than she thought.

Orihime closed her eyes leaning back in the chair. _Will it ever be over?_ She wasn't sure she could deal with all of this.

But that's ok, she'll keep trying. Ulquiorra _will_ walk the stage with her. Wherever he was, she'll find him somehow.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was a week before graduation, and Ulquiorra was still unconscious. Orihime's anxiety grew with each passing day. When the doctors told her that the critical stage has already passed, and it was only a matter of time before he woke up, she was ecstatic. But as the days went by, without any changes, she sunk back into depression. Except for the cut, he didn't get hurt anywhere else. Yet, his eyes remained closed. The waiting was torture.

She still refused to talk to Ichigo, which put a strain on her friendship with Rukia. In fact, she completely isolated herself from Reapers. Aside from the unwilling glances, when they passed each other at school, they acted like complete strangers. If it wasn't for Grimmjow, who seemed to be around her a lot lately, she would've gone insane from loneliness and constant worrying.

It was a sunny spring morning, and she was on her way to school. She didn't really have to be there because the classes were already over, but the club activities gave her something to do, and let her think about other things besides Ulquiorra. Since that fateful day, it was the same routine for her now. She went to school for a few hours, then spent the rest of her days at the hospital staring at his face, waiting and hoping.

"Hey!" she heard footsteps behind her.

She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. It was like this almost every day.

"Good morning, Grimmjow." Orihime said as soon as he caught up with her.

"What are you doing after school?"

"The same thing I've been doing for the past week."

"Same here."

"You don't have to go to the hospital with me if you don't want to. If it's a bother.."

"It's not." he interrupted her.

They walked in silence for a few minutes until Orihime spoke again.

"Ulquiorra seems to be looking better lately. Maybe it's a sign that he is going to wake up soon."

"He better. I am tired of you going on and on about him every freaken day."

Orihime let out a chuckle, Grimmjow glared at her.

"You really are funny," she said, "even though you pretend not to care, I know you're worried."

"Shit, you think you've got me all figured out, don't ya?"

"I guess so."

"Nosy woman." he muttered under his breath.

Orihime did not respond.

"What are you planning on doing after high school?" she finally changed the subject.

"Tokyo University."

Orihime stopped and stared at him in shock. "You…you got accepted into Tokyo-U? But how is that possible?"

Grimmjow looked slightly annoyed. "What? You don't think I'm smart enough?"

"No...it's just…. you never showed much interest in academics, and your grades are average."

"I'm good at sports, and one of the best at Kendo." he gave her a smug grin, "Their college recruiter decided to overlook my grades, after he saw me swing the sword in front of his face. That asshole even offered an athletic scholarship as long as I joined their Kendo team."

"Must be nice. I've read it's one of the best in the country." Orihime said wistfully, "I wonder where Ulquiorra is…was going."

"Same place."

"Oh, right! He is pretty good with the sword too."

"Nah, _he_ actually studies. The bastard got into their engineering school, which means I won't have my rematch. But now that he is knocked out for shit knows how long, they might revoke his scholarship."

Orihime did not respond. _So he was going to move to Tokyo. I didn't even know. Why do I find out about these things the last?_

They finally reached the school gate, that's where they went their separate ways.

"I'll see you back here in three hours."

"Ok." she replied and continued walking.

Grimmjow stared at her retreating figure.

_Ulquiorra is so screwed._

_

* * *

_The howling wind rang in his ears and the sandstorm was blinding his vision. For how long has he been here? Hours? Days? He didn't know. His sense of direction was none existent as he had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that he was looking for something.

Ulquiorra raised his head to the sky. There was a faint glow beyond the madness around him. Was it sun? Moon? He had no idea. He didn't even know if it was night or day.

"Welcome." he heard a voice behind him.

He turned his head into the direction of the voice. At first he couldn't see where it was coming from. Then, a shadow came into focus. At first its form was unclear, then it started to take a human-like shape. Yet, there was something strange about it. The shadow finally stepped into view and Ulquiorra came face-to-face with a monster. Black wings, horns, strange facial marks. And the face….that almost looked like his.

* * *

Orihime stood in the kitchen looking at her perfectly spotless counters. She decided to stay at home today before she went back to the hospital. Running into Ichigo and the rest of her friends became a daily routine that she wanted to avoid. So, she decided to submit herself to the daily chores, like cleaning. She cleaned the same things over and over again, until she started to see her own reflection in her kitchen counters, pots and pans, and everything else that was shiny. She loved cleaning almost as much as cooking, but this was clearly going out of control. She shuddered. _I need to go do something else for a change. _

The door bell rang. She did not expect anyone in particular. Although Tatsuki, and lately Grimmjow, often came uninvited. She sighed. _Here we go. Mr. Kendo Superstar decided to barge in on me again._

She headed for the door, fully expecting to see the blue haired athlete on the other side. Yet what waited for her was entirely different. He face fell as soon as she opened the door.

"Can I come in?" Ichigo asked her nervously.

Orihime hesitated. She wasn't ready to face him again, yet she couldn't avoid him forever. Ulquiorra was stubborn and was taking his sweet time, leaving her to deal with all of this alone. She stepped aside letting him in.

"For how long are you going to be avoiding me, Inoue?" He asked her as soon as he stepped in.

"I was waiting for Ulquiorra to wake up, and then go from there. You owe him more than me." She replied calmly.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"So this is it? We aren't friends anymore?"

"Ichigo, you make it all sound so easy. You know what you did. I can't just forget about it and treat you like nothing happened!"

"I am not expecting you to! I just …"

"Why are you here?" she interrupted him.

"I want us to be friends again." He looked sullen.

"I told you, I need time. I have to make sure Ulquiorra wakes up first."

"But _why_?"

"Because," she looked down at her hands, "he is a very important person to me."

"But you don't even know him! He can't be more important than us!"

"What exactly do you know about him and me?" she hissed, anger rising, "You were never interested in my personal life before. You never even noticed me! And suddenly you know all about me?"

Ichigo was taken aback by her bluntness. "What do you mean I never noticed you…of course I did!"

"Oh really? Then tell me, do you know how it feels to love someone who doesn't love you back?" _I am not going cry! I am not going to cry!_

Ichigo slowly shook his head.

"Well, I do!" she said miserably.

"You can't mean that you…"

"You don't have to worry about it now." she smiled through tears, "I've gotten over you. And Ulquiorra was there to help me!"

"I had no idea…"

"Of course you didn't! Swords were always your first priority until Rukia showed up."

"I'm sorry."

Before she could reply, he pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Ichigo, you don't have to…"

She didn't get a chance to finish.

"What the hell is going on here?" they heard a very angry voice behind them.

Orihime pulled away from Ichigo, seeing a very pissed Grimmjow glaring at her.

"How did you get in?" she asked, feeling extremely awkward.

"You left the fucking door open!"

His gaze switched to Ichigo.

"I told you to stay away from her, asshole!"

Ichigo was about to respond but Orihime interrupted him. "I think you better go, Ichigo."

He nodded. "Inoue, we'll finish this later." Then he left.

She felt Grimmjow staring at her, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. She slowly turned away from him.

"And what exactly were you planning to _finish_ with him?" she heard him ask in a dangerously quiet voice.

She tensed. _Or for God's sake, this is not the time for this!_

"Did you want something?" she ignored his question.

He put his hands in his pockets, not taking his eyes away from her. "Now, _this_ was an interesting development. And here I thought I would actually surprise you with the news. But you fucking surprised _me_ instead!"

"What news?" she asked cautiously.

Grimmjow studied her for a moment before speaking again. "The hospital called. There's something happening to Ulquiorra."

* * *

Twenty minutes later she was standing in Ulquiorra's room watching doctors and nurses running in and out. He was still unconscious, still a peaceful expression on his face, yet, something was different about him. She came closer and saw his eyelids slightly move.

Then she heard someone approaching her from behind.

"Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Unohana. I am taking care of this young man." a woman with a motherly face smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you, doctor. Could you tell me what is happening to him?" Orihime asked anxiously.

"There've been some very interesting changes in his condition." the doctor paused for a second, looking at the chart, "Increased brain activity, rapid eye movement. There is something going on in that head of his."

"Is he dreaming?" Orihime asked, looking at him with interest.

"It looks like it. And very intensely, I might add."

Orihime turned back to her, with hope. "Doctor, does that mean he will wake up soon?"

"It is certainly a possibility, but not a guarantee."

The doctor lingered for a few more minutes writing something in the chart, then politely excused herself and left the room. Orihime was left alone with Ulquiorra.

She sat on the bed next to him, studying him intently.

"What are you dreaming about?" she asked gently. "It better not be about fighting again."

She thought she saw a frown appear for just a second.

_What ARE you dreaming about?_

_

* * *

_"How are you feeling, your majesty?" The monster asked him in a voice that resembled his own.

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?"

Ulquiorra studied him in silence.

"I am you." the monster continued, "To be more exact, I am part of you. Your fears, anxieties."

"Nonsense. I don't have any fears."

"Nonsense? Are you certain?"

An image of Orihime smiling and laughing with Ichigo slashed through his mind.

Ulquiorra frowned. "Why am I here?"

The monster looked at him for a moment. "Do you know the difference between a man and his horse?"

"What..?"

"One becomes the king and dominates, and the other becomes the vessel and submits to the king's will." the monster stopped for a moment studying him. "Do you know what makes them different?"

"Enlighten me." Ulquiorra said in slight irritation.

"Power and self-control. You can either control your emotions, or let your emotions control you. Once that happens, you lose everything."

"I've never let my emotions control me." Ulquiorra replied impatiently.

"Are you certain?" the monster asked again. "Then let me _enlighten_ you."

* * *

"You know, it's not the same without you," Orihime looked down at his sleeping face, "I don't have anyone to boss me around and discipline me, like you did. You always had a way with words that snapped me out of my depression." she brought her face close to his. "And now I am all by myself, and it's hard. But I try to be strong, so when you come back, you could be proud of me."

She touched her cheek to his. His skin felt cool. "Ichigo came to see me today." she continued. "I didn't think I would be able to handle talking to him while you are still here, but I ended up telling him everything. And it was easier than I thought. I finally told him about that stupid crush." she chuckled, "I think I scared him a little. He never even suspected that silly little me could actually like him."

She brought her face back to look at him, "But you know what happened next? He actually hugged me! If that happened several months ago, I would've probably died of happiness. But you know what I felt this time? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Right now I am not even sure I ever loved him, just some foolish schoolgirl infatuation."

She stroked his hair tenderly. "Do you know what I felt when you hugged and kissed me that time? I never wanted it to end. If it was up to me, I would've never let it end. That's why I need you to come back, so you can show me again and again what real love feels like. And I can finally tell you that you're not alone in this." She lowered her face, covering his lips with hers. Oh how she wished to feel his arms around her, to have him whisper 'kiss me' in her ear again. At that moment she would've done anything he asked of her, without hesitation. Without looking back. Without second guessing and doubting herself.

Doubting? There was no more doubt in her mind. "I won't say it while you're like this. I will wait until you can look at me again, until you can kiss me like that again."

She couldn't get enough of him. _This love is killing me_. He told her once. But right now she felt like dying herself.

"I _need_ to see myself in your eyes." Orihime whispered in his ear.

She traced her hand down his cheek, like she did that time. "I _need_ to feel your warmth again."

Even though her face remained calm, she felt like her heart would explode. Being near him like this was excruciating. So close…yet so far. But soon…

"You don't even know what you did to me." She said before bringing her lips down on his again. "You asked me about hearts once, but you never realized what you did to mine." she couldn't stop kissing him, "Because of this heart…"

_Because of this heart_…_I lust for everything about you. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"I've never let my emotions control me."

"Are you certain? Let me _enlighten_ you."

The sandstorm suddenly stopped. Ulquiorra looked around, it was night time. The sky was clear, illuminated by a faint glow of the crescent moon. He turned his gaze back to the monster.

"Do you want to find out why you lost the fight?"

"I know why I lost the fight. Kurosaki was a stronger opponent."

"How foolish. You lost because you let yourself be distracted. That girl was the reason why you fought, wasn't she?"

Ulquiorra did not answer.

"_Why_ did you fight for the girl?"

_Because I love her._

"Because you were blinded by jealousy." the monster answered for him.

Ulquiorra cast his gaze down. The monster was absolutely right.

"Why?" the monster asked him.

"I was afraid of losing her."

"Was she ever yours to lose?"

Ulquiorra starred back at him at the sudden realization. _No._

"She was not." the monster spoke.

"Why were you jealous?" he continued the interrogation.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. He really did not want to remember the feeling. "I couldn't forget how she looked at Kurosaki."

"Did you confront her about your suspicions?"

Silence.

"You did not."

A flow of images started rushing through Ulquiorra's mind. He remembered everything, the anger when he saw her with him from the window, the rudeness when brushed her off and went to his sword practice, the slap.

"Why did you allow her to slap you?" the monster asked, as if sensing what he was thinking.

"You're asking too many questions." Ulquiorra turned his head to the side shoving his hands into his pockets. Pockets? He looked at himself; he was wearing his school uniform.

"Do you want to see your future?"

Ulquiorra turned his gaze back to the monster.

"And so you shall."

An image of Orihime appeared in front of him holding Kurosaki's hand and smiling at him happily. The image disappeared and another took its place, of Orihime and Grimmjow locked in a passionate kiss.

Ulquiorra looked sharply at the monster.

"Is this true?" he demanded.

"It _could_ be true."

"How do I prevent it?"

"Maintain your crown. Once you let your emotions rule your judgment, you will become the horse."

Ulquiorra remained silent.

"If you lose your crown, she will never be yours."

_That woman really enjoys tormenting me._

Ulquiorra turned his head and looked into the distance. Was he really doing it all wrong? Why couldn't he ever bring himself to talk to her? He never confronted her once. He just continued running off, always leaving her behind. Would she ever get tired of wondering? Waiting? He was such a fool, a pathetic fool who was desperately in love. Once he came to that realization, he couldn't deal with it. He simply couldn't accept the fact that Orihime was still hung up on Kurosaki. He became jealous, so jealous, that he didn't know what to do with his raging emotions. He couldn't talk to her for the fear of scaring her off. But he scared her even more by not talking. Yet, the last time he saw her she acted differently. It was almost as if she cared about him.

He shook his head in frustration. That woman _really_ enjoyed tormenting him.

"What is it that you want?" he heard the monster ask.

"I want her to be mine."

"Don't you want to settle the score with the boy?"

"I don't care about him."

"Why?" the monster asked suspiciously.

Ulquiorra sighed. "I never wanted to fight him. I only did it because I was angry. And that fool just wouldn't give up."

He paused at the memory.

"I wanted him to give up voluntarily, to stop fighting and leave her with me. Instead, I made her witness the beating of her friend." He felt his chest contract. "I don't ever want to see her so hurt and scared again."

The monster looked at him for a moment. "You seem to have found your answer."

* * *

Orihime was excited and nervous. The doctor said there was a possibility of Ulquiorra waking up at any moment. She was trembling with anticipation. But what would she say to him? How would he react? Would he still continue his rivalry with Ichigo? He seemed to be one of the strongest among the Blades with a certain amount of influence. Would he ignite more conflict between them and the Reapers? And if that happened, where would Orihime stand? She wasn't one of them anymore, and neither did she belong with the Blades. Where exactly did her loyalties lie?

Orihime turned her gaze to the ground. She finally decided to put the hard feeling aside and called Rukia requesting a meeting. Unlike her recent encounter with Ichigo, she wasn't apprehensive about it. Rukia was always a good friend, who seemed to know how to keep Ichigo in check, and understood people around her. Orihime wanted a resolution between her and the Reapers. She needed to know that the rivalry will not continue. And at least have one person who understood her feelings. Ichigo didn't seem to understand anything with that dense brain of his. In his world everything was black and white. But Rukia was different.

She finally entered the park, where they agreed to meet, and spotted the brunette sitting on a bench. Rukia waved and Orihime started at her direction.

"It's been a while. How have you been?" Rukia asked.

"I'm alright. Wish things would've been better." Orihime answered, sitting down next to her.

"What have you been doing?"

Orihime looked at her hands before replying, "Visiting Ulquiorra at the hospital."

"How is he?"

"He is still in a coma, but things have been changing. He might even wake up soon." she said softy.

Rukia studied her for a moment. "What exactly happened between you two?"

Orihime sighed. _I hope you will understand._

"We fell in love. But I never had a chance to tell him. He went to fight with Ichigo thinking that…." she didn't finish.

"Thinking that you might've still liked him?" Rukia finished for her.

Orihime looked up in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Rukia chuckled. "It wasn't exactly news, Inoue. Everyone knew about it. But that's ok, I was never angry with you. And now I'm glad you found someone who loves you back. I just wish things were different between us."

"I quit the Reapers too, you know."

Rukia grew serious and turned her head looking into the distance.

"I don't blame you." she said, "If it was me in your place, I would've probably done the same."

Then she turned back to Orihime. "Ichigo feels very guilty. He really wants you to forgive him and put all of this behind us."

"I know. He came to see me the other day." Orihime said, "But I just can't do it right now."

"I understand. But, please, keep in mind that we still think of you as a friend."

"Thank you, Rukia." she paused getting her thoughts together, "What do you think will happen once Ulquiorra wakes up?"

"Are you worried about the rivalry?"

Orihime nodded, "I want it to stop. They have to realize that it's not worth nearly killing each other over it. The school is almost over, and all of us will soon go our separate ways."

"It's true. But I wish we didn't. I wish we continued to be friends." Rukia smiled sadly.

"Me too, but I don't think it is possible to go back to what it used to be."

Rukia nodded. "The stupid rivalry did not accomplish anything but destroy years of friendship." she sighed, "But, just so you know, if those idiots will still continue with it, after everything that has happened, I will stand by Ichigo. Although, I will tell him exactly what I think about it."

Orihime looked down at the ground. "I know you will."

"Sounds like you will do the same for Ulquiorra."

* * *

Ichigo was pacing around his room. His last conversation with Orihime troubled him. How could she forsake their friendship so easily for someone she barely knew? Why was she so adamant about waiting for Ulquiorra to wake up first? _He is a very important person to me._ She told him. What the hell did she mean by that? Reapers have been friends since middle school, but Ulquiorra appeared only a few months ago. Yet, he was more important than everyone else? _What the hell?_

He heard a light tap on the door.

"Ichigo, I'm coming in." He heard Rukia on the other side.

She entered, quietly closing the door behind her. She looked at him, immediately noticing that something was wrong.

"Let me guess. You are sulking about the whole business with Inoue."

"Why is he so important to her? It's like we've never even been friends!"

Rukia shook her head. "You really are dense."

Before he could respond, she raised he hand, immediately silencing him. "Did you know that she had a crush on you for years?"

Ichigo nodded. "She told me when I went to talk to her."

"Good! Did she tell you how miserable she was all this time?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"And now that she finally found someone who actually loves her, do you really think she will abandon that person?"

"She doesn't have to abandon him, but she acts like he is more important than everyone else!"

"He _is_ more important that everyone else because she fell in love with him too."

Ichigo starred at her in shock.

Rukia chuckled. "You didn't actually think she will continue having feelings for you forever, did you? She has a life too, you know, and she needs to live it."

"But…"

"Ichigo! You almost killed someone very dear to her. Do you honestly think she will forgive and forget so easily? If something like that happened to me, would you be able to?"

"No…" Ichigo turned around staring out of the window, "So she loves him…I just wish she would at least give me a chance… If only I could go back…"

"I know you felt very guilty about it." Rukia came up behind him, "Your eyes do not lie. And I noticed it right away. You did not look like you won the fight."

"What should I do?"

"Hope that Ulquiorra wakes up soon and make amends."

She heard Ichigo give a heavy sigh.

"And another thing, you need to put a stop to the rivalry. Not just you, but the Blades as well. After what happened, it's not wise to continue it anymore."

"What if they don't want to?"

"Convince Ulquiorra." she took his hand, "Once Inoue sees that you made an effort, maybe she will finally forgive you."

"What if he'll hate me?"

"He is not stupid. If you go about it the right way, he will agree with you."

"That time when we fought, it seemed like he really wanted me to give up the fight."

"He was probably jealous of you. And I don't blame him. Besides that, both of you acted very stupidly during the fight."

"I don't ever want to have a fight like that again."

"Remember this the next time you hold your sword."

* * *

"Seems like you've found your answer."

_Damn right I have._ The images in his head made him see everything in the new light. It felt like he was watching a stranger. How could he ever treat her this way? No wonder she was still reluctant to confess her feelings for him. Did she even have any feelings? Or was it just compassion? But the way she looked at him when she took his hand, she had to love him. Ulquiorra felt new resolve building up. He _had_ to know. He couldn't wait any longer.

He sharply turned his head to the monster. "How do I get out of here?"

"Don't ask me. You're the king, you decide."

Ulquiorra looked around. The sandstorm seemed to be coming back. He turned back, the monster stood quietly watching him. Without another word, Ulquiorra started walking. He walked a few feet then turned back. The monster was gone. The sandstorm was getting stronger, blinding his vision. But Ulquiorra kept walking. He had to get out of this place. She was waiting for him. Soon, his vision became completely distorted by the storm. But he had to keep walking. Another minute passed and he was surrounded. He couldn't see or hear anything anymore. The chaos was consuming him. But he had to keep walking.

His vision suddenly changed. There was a faint white light in front of him. He reached for it. The light got bigger and bigger. His pace became faster. He _had_ to reach that light. He started running. The light was all around him now. He felt warm. Ulquiorra closed his eyes at the brightness. When he opened them again, he found himself lying on a hospital bed.

Ulquiorra blinked. Was he really awake? He tried remembering his dream, but all he saw was a vague image. _Do not lose your crown._ The faint words rang in his mind. _Do not lose your crown._

"Welcome back." He heard a familiar voice.

He turned his head in surprise. _Urahara?_

"What happened to me?"

"After Kurosaki Ichigo badly injured you, you lost a lot of blood and went into a coma."

_No fucking way…._

"For how long have I been out?"

"A little over a week."

Ulquiorra stared into space in front of him. _A whole week._

"Why are you here?" he suddenly asked.

"You didn't expect Aizen, did you?" Urahara smiled. "Besides, you should be happy that you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

Urahara studied him for a second before speaking again. "I've got good news."

Ulquiorra looked at him expectantly.

"Your university scholarship has been reinstated."

"I see." he paused, "What about…?"

"She didn't get in." Urahara responded before he could finish.

_Dammit._

"You've been really popular lately," Urahara continued, "Having everyone visiting you."

"Define 'everyone'." Ulquiorra sad evenly, staring at him.

"Well…there were those Blades of yours, Grimmjow in particular…."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ulquiorra interrupted him, "Grimmjow has no business coming here."

"Well, apparently he did. And guess who else was here?" Urahara asked, his mouth widening in a grin.

_Inoue Orihime..? _Ulquiorra held his breath in hope.

"She was here every day." Urahara said, as if reading his thoughts.

Ulquiorra leaned back on the pillow. So, she hasn't forgotten about him. Relief washed over him. He needed to see her again.

"Your graduation is in two days. Are you excited?"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. They didn't get into the same college. Where are they going to go from here? _Excited about what?_

"There is nothing to be excited about."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was two hours since Urahara left. Ulquiorra sat on his bed pondering the situation. Orihime and he didn't get into the same school. He didn't even know where she was going and how far away she would be. Tokyo was five hours away by train from Karakura Town. Commuting back and forth every week was doable. He was going to do it if she was willing to wait for him. But what if she moved too and even further away? He remembered that she told him she wanted to become a doctor, but there weren't any good schools in the area.

He suddenly heard the door fly open and turned his gaze towards it.

"It's about goddamn time." he heard Grimmjow's voice.

"You're back…"

"Damn right I'm back! I've been coming here almost every freaken day with that woman! She just wouldn't shut up about you."

Ulquiorra frowned. "You seem to be a little too familiar with her."

"She needed a friend." Grimmjow said, a serious expression on his face, "She was completely alone and didn't even want to deal with the Reapers."

"And you kept her company?"

Grimmjow sat on a chair next to the bed. "I did. And you should thank me for it. She didn't want to see anyone, not even that asshole Kurosaki. She was a complete mess."

"I see."

"No, you fucking don't. He was going out of his way to get her to talk to him. She wouldn't have anything to do with him. She was _that_ pissed over what he did to you. That idiot even went to her…"

"I don't want to hear it." Ulquiorra cut him off. "I will talk to her myself."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Did you know that we got into the same school?" Grimmjow spoke again.

"Is that so?"

"Hell yeah. They were that impressed with my swordsmanship." he gave a smug grin.

"Let me guess, they offered you a full athletic scholarship if you joined their Kendo team."

Grimmjow looked at him for a second. "You're one sly bastard, did you know that? But, anyway, I'm going there in a month to meet with the coach, Kenpachi…something. I hear he is a real beast. When are you going there?"

Ulquiorra sighed. He really did not want to think about it.

"I don't know. There are things I need to finish here first."

"Well, fuck, I even know what those 'things' are." he paused looking down, "She didn't get in, did she?"

Ulquiorra turned his head away and stared at the wall. "She did not."

Before Grimmjow could respond, he heard his cell phone ring. He got it out of his pocket and checked the number.

"It's your girlfriend."

Ulquiorra felt his chest tighten, yet his expression remained the same.

"I told her I'd come to see you. But then Urahara gave me the news, and I haven't told her yet. She wants an update."

"Tell her nothing."

Grimmjow raised his brows, but did not object. He spoke to Orihime for a minute, saying that Ulquiorra's condition did not change.

"What the fuck was that all about?" he yelled after hanging up the phone.

"I don't want her to come here."

"Why the fuck not?"

"There are too many interruptions."

Grimmjow stared at him in confusion. "Then how the hell are you going to talk to her?"

"I will see her at the apartment."

Grimmjow let out a laugh. "You aren't serious, are you? You just got out of coma. There is no way the doc will release you."

"Let me worry about it and just do what I ask."

"Ok…. But how are you gonna get there in your condition? Your cut hasn't completely healed yet."

"You will help me get there."

"Well…fuck, you've got it all planned out, haven't you?"

"Indeed. Come back here in three hours."

"How do you know she won't come here while I'm gone?"

"Call her and make something up."

Grimmjow couldn't believe it. Even now Ulquiorra still acted like he had everything under control, even though he just barely recovered from a coma.

"There's something definitely wrong with you…" Grimmjow murmured heading for the door.

"Grimmjow…" he heard Ulquiorra behind him. For some reason he knew what Ulquiorra was going to ask.

Grimmjow turned his head sideways. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Ulquiorra's suspicious were not completely false. Yet he knew this was the wrong time for him. Wrong time, wrong girl, wrong rival. There was no chance.

"She loves _you_, man." Grimmjow said firmly, and left the room.

Ulquiorra let out a long and painful sigh.

_I'll believe it once I hear her say it to me._

_

* * *

_Orihime was humming quietly in the kitchen, finishing up her lunch. She was planning to go see Ulquiorra today. Then, Grimmjow came over announcing that he will go with her to the hospital later. Even though he was a little too forward about it, Orihime agreed. Still, she couldn't understand why Grimmjow asked, no, _told_ her to go with him later. He made it sound like she couldn't refuse. She shrugged off the feeling that he was hiding something. Yet, since he was always straightforward, there wasn't anything too suspicious about his behavior. And, he promised to pick her up, and now he was late.

She loaded the dishes into the sink and turned on the water. It was two days until the graduation and still nothing. She tried so hard to reach him, yet Ulquiorra was still trapped in his dream. No matter how much she talked to him, he didn't seem to hear her. What if he won't wake up at all? Orihime refused to think about that. She had to try harder.

The door bell rang bringing her out of her thoughts. _Finally!_ She turned off the water and headed for the door.

"I thought you went without me, Grimm…" she said opening it, and stopped gaping in shock.

Ulquiorra stood on the other side, looking back at her with his hands in his pockets.

"No, not Grimmjow." he said evenly.

Orihime covered her mouth with her hand. Her heart was pounding. She was speechless. _It can't be…_

Ulquiorra didn't wait for her to invite him in. He stepped inside closing the door behind him. Even though he seemed perfectly calm, he felt like his heart would jump out of his chest at any moment. He still couldn't believe that being alone with this woman had such an effect on him.

He looked down at her impassively. Orihime backed against the wall staring at him as if he was a ghost.

"You don't seem to be happy to see me." he said coolly.

Orihime gulped. "I didn't expect you to be here at all! I was about to go visit you at the hospital."

"As you can see, there is no need for it."

They looked at each other for a few moments. All Ulquiorra wanted to do was to pull her to him and make her forget about everything that has happened in the past week. But he did not betray a single emotion. This had to be resolved between them once and for all, before he did anything else.

While he seemed to be perfectly collected, Orihime was going out of her mind. She would've never imagined for it to turn out this way, yet she was happy that he was finally back. So very happy.

"When did you wake up?" she whispered.

"Several hours ago."

"I didn't know…I thought you were still..."

"Surprise." he interrupted, walking past her and into her living room.

She stood in the hallway thinking about what's just happened. One moment she was brooding over his coma, the next he was standing on her door step all alive and well. He never ceased to surprise her.

She slowly turned around and followed him into the living room. Her hands were shaking, she was more nervous than she has ever been before. She couldn't believe he was right here in her apartment. And, unlike her, he looked absolutely calm. _How does he do that?_

She finally came into the room. Ulquiorra was standing in the middle of it waiting for her. She noticed he's lost weight, his face was a little paler than usual, and he had circles under his eyes. His jacket was unzipped and she could see the bandages from where his shirt was unbuttoned. Orihime sighed. _So he's come while he is still recovering. _

"I wish you would've called and told me." she said, avoiding his gaze.

"I didn't want to have this conversation at the hospital. There are too many people around."

Orihime studied his face. His expression was unreadable. So he wanted to talk to her, she should've known. There was so much she wanted to tell him. But she needed to calm down first. She was too nervous to think rationally. She felt like crying, laughing, and throwing herself at him all at the same time. She _had_ to calm down.

Despite her raging nerves, Orihime managed a smile.

"You must be hungry! Let me fix you something." she went into the kitchen. _Calm down. Calm down._

But before she could do anything, she felt a pair of hands getting a hold of her and turning her around. She suddenly found herself face-to-face with Ulquiorra.

"Don't make a fuss about every little thing." he breathed out.

Orihime looked up at him. He was alive, he was awake, and he was _here_. She couldn't hold it in any longer. Everything that has been bottling up for the past week finally came out in a flood of fresh tears. She covered her face with her hands.

Ulquiorra saw her shoulders shake and the remains of his self-control evaporated. He brought his arms around her and pulled her close. They've been apart for way too long.

"What are you crying about, woman?" he asked gently, pressing his cheek against her temple. "I am here, am I not?"

Orihime nodded fiercely. _You are here! You are here! You are HERE!_

"I can't take it anymore!" her voice shook from sobs, "I went there every day just to talk to you, but you wouldn't wake up. And now you're actually _here_. I've missed you so much."

She felt him kissing her hair.

"That day, when I saw you fall after what Ichigo did to you, I thought you were dead. I was so scared!"

"I'm sorry." he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.

She pulled away and looked up to meet his eyes. His cool expression was gone, replaced by tenderness.

"I thought I would never see you again. And then I realized I've never told you, that you never knew." she said through tears.

He wanted to touch her but she grabbed his hand. "There is something I have to tell you. You have to listen to me!"

He continued looking at her in silent anticipation. This was the moment when she will finally give him the answer to that question. It had to be. He's been waiting for so long.

She brought her other hand to his cheek. "I always knew I had feelings for you. And when you were gone I've finally realized something very important. Something that I should've told you long ago." She paused caressing his cheek.

He turned his head and kissed her palm.

"I've finally realized that I've found my heart." She said taking a step closer.

"Where is it?" his voice was barely a whisper.

She brought his hand to her chest, smiling timidly. "This is it...right here in your hand…is my heart."

He felt an overwhelming rush of relief and happiness, but he still wanted her to say those words. He _needed_ her to say them. He promised to himself that from now on it will be different between them, but he couldn't move on unless he knew for sure. It has been bothering him for months, and his depression was only getting worse. He told her a long time ago that he loved her and his feelings only grew stronger, much stronger. But she never did the same. By the way she looked at him right now, he was almost convinced that she loved him too. But still, he desired to hear those words more than anything else.

Orihime saw emotions dancing on his face. Even though she finally gave him the answer that he was waiting for, she still wasn't done. She knew he was expecting her to confess her love. And she was absolutely prepared to, with all her heart.

She let his hand go and brought her arms around his neck. "I never knew that loving someone could be so painful and exhilarating at the same time."

He gave out a shaky breath, pressing her close to him.

She brought her face to his. "I don't ever want to be separated from you again. I love you more than…"

The next thing she knew he had his lips down on hers. His kiss was rough, passionate, needy, emotional. It felt like he poured everything that he felt right that moment into one single kiss. His only wish was finally granted. She was his at last.

Orihime clung to Ulquiorra like she would never see him again. He was back. The man she fell in love with, the man who had the power to make her happy and miserable all at the same time. Ulquiorra. _Her_ Ulquiorra. So this was how it felt, to love and be loved, this warmth of his that she was waiting for all this time, which seemed like an eternity. It was just like then, when they shared their first kiss. The warmth that stayed with her forever, that she could never forget. And now she found it again. But this time it will be different. She will never let it go. Never.

* * *

Urahara sat in his office reviewing the final list of graduates. A number of familiar names jumped in front of him. He smiled. All of it will be over in just two days. _Finally._ This year had more excitement that he's ever witnessed in his entire career as an educator. After the graduation party all of them will go their separate ways, or will they?

So many things have changed in the past year. He was saddened by the fact that Kurosaki and Inoue were no longer friends. They were together for so long, yet she always seemed to be lagging behind his group. And now she found someone else who seemed to make her happy. He would've never believed that something like this could happen. But, as long as everyone was happy, he was satisfied.

He heard the door open and saw Aizen coming in.

"Came to brag about your victory?" Urahara asked him suspiciously.

"I admit that it's not the kind of victory I wanted, but it's victory nevertheless."

"You won by a default."

"If your boy did not act like a psychotic lunatic, you would've probably won."

Urahara sighed. After the judges found out about the fight between Ichigo and Ulquiorra, and how exactly Ichigo won, they immediately disqualified Reapers and gave the victory to Blades.

"I expect you to hold your end of the bargain." Aizen said.

"Oh, I will. After my kids graduate, there is nothing that holds me here."

Aizen smiled and headed for the door but stopped just before he reached it.

He turned around and looked at Urahara. "Aren't you going to fight me over it? The fact that you have to resign because you lost the competition?"

Urahara shook his head. "No, I will not. After everything that has happened, I do not deserve this job."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Does it still hurt?" Orihime finally broke the silence, gently touching his bandaged shoulder.

They sat in her living room, blissfully staring into space. She had her head on his good shoulder, daydreaming about the past three hours. It was pure heaven. She felt like nothing could ever go wrong. They loved each other, they wanted to be together. Nothing else mattered.

Ulquiorra lazily put his arm around her.

"It does, a little." he kissed her forehead, "But I'm feeling much better now."

She snuggled closer to him. Graduation now seemed a lot more exciting than before. They would walk the stage together, and go to the party together. She wasn't even worried about running into Ichigo anymore. Everything was just perfect.

"Are you excited about graduation, Ulquiorra?" she smiled at him happily.

Ulquiorra's face grew serious. Graduation was the start of another problem that he _really_ wasn't looking forward to. After that they finally found each other, they will have to separate again.

"Do you know what happens after high school?" he asked.

"Sure do. Grimmjow told me that both of you got accepted into Tokyo University. I'm so excited for you guys!"

Ulquiorra sighed. _Are you being clueless on purpose?_

"Do you know what that means?"

"Of course I do." there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes, "You will have to go away, but we'll manage somehow, right?"

"We will. College or no college, this will never be over." Ulquiorra said, pulling her closer. "I will come back every week to be with you. Don't you forget about me, woman."

Orihime took his hand and squeezed it in agreement.

"What are you planning to do in the mean time?" she heard him asking again.

"I was going to take some biology classes at the local school, and then try to transfer to Tokyo next year. If I'm lucky, I might even get a scholarship, like you guys."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at her. "You seem to be well informed."

"Grimmjow told me everything."

A second ticked before he spoke again. "And how much time, exactly, did you two spend together?"

"We went to the hospital every day after school." she answered, smiling at him innocently.

Ulquiorra's mouth curved in amusement. He let her out of his sight for just one week, and she still managed to have Grimmjow fall for her. _What a woman._ No wonder he was crazy about her.

"Ulquiorra…" she brought him out of his thoughts. "Now that things are good between us, I want us to be more open with each other. I don't want to wonder anymore about what you are up to when you're not around." she looked down nervously, "If you are mad at something, just talk to me, instead of walking away. When you run off, there is always trouble."

Orihime's words made him remember the slap. If he didn't give in to his jealousy, all of it could've been avoided. He remembered how much it hurt, but the way she looked, after everything he said to her, hurt even more. He wanted to reassure her that there will be no more unspoken words between them, and that she won't have to worry anymore. Even though he did not remember his dream, he felt like he had it for a reason. _Do not lose your crown._ That is one phrase he will never forget.

Ulquiorra realized that he will always be jealous to some degree, because this was Orihime. But he will no longer let it control him. She was much more important, and he didn't fight for her for so long, just to lose her again.

He touched her chin and gently turned her face to him.

"I promise," he said, looking her straight in the eyes, "from now on, no more doubts."

He expected some sort of a hearty reaction, but what she did next took him completely by surprise.

"Good!" she exclaimed, sparkles in her eyes, and planted a kiss on his lips.

But before he could respond, she quickly escaped from his grasp and marched into the kitchen.

_Woman…_

After everything that has happened, she still managed to drive him insane.

Ulquiorra got up unwillingly and followed her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, seeing her fussing around the kitchen.

"I am going to feed you!"

"I'm not hungry."

She put her hands on her hips in mock irritation. "You've been on IVs for a whole week. You need real food if you want to get better!"

Ulquiorra put his hands in his pockets and looked at her in silent defiance.

"Do you want me to tie you down and force feed you?" she sounded serious, but her lips trembled with mirth.

Ulquiorra raised a brow, feeling something warm rise in his stomach. "Oh? That is something I _have_ to see."

* * *

It was finally the day of the graduation. The ceremony was shorter than everyone expected. As the names were called, the students walked on stage one after another to receive their diplomas and shake hands with the headmasters. There were no more spiteful glances and sneers between Blades and Reapers. But a quiet truce. Everyone noticed the change, especially when Inoue Orihime went to sit between Ulquiorra Schiffer and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, instead of joining Kurosaki Ichigo and the rest of the Reapers. Some were astonished, others already knew. But nobody sad a word.

And now, everything was forgotten as the new graduates enjoyed themselves at the party. Orihime looked around. She saw many familiar faces. Some smiled at her, others turned away. Hers and Rukia's eyes met for a second, and they raised their glasses in unison.

"Is everything alright?" she heard Ulquiorra behind her.

She turned around, he was looking at Ichigo and Rukia standing together with the rest of the Reapers.

She nodded smiling at him. "Say, Ulquiorra, what is going to happen to Blades and Reapers from now on?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Nothing. There are no more Blades or Reapers. We have been officially disbanded after the competition, or so Urahara told me."

"So this is the end, then, to the rivalry."

"Indeed."

He took her by the hand and led her into the patio.

Orihime walked towards the edge and put her hands on the rails, looking into the distance. Ulquiorra put his hands in his pockets and came up to stand behind her.

"So this is it." she said wistfully. "High school is over."

"This year was rather…interesting." he responded.

"But not everything happened the way we wanted to."

He studied her for a moment.

"Are you scared?"

She looked up at him, feeling her eyes moisten. "Only of the unknown. You're going to leave soon and…"

"Stop," he interrupted her. "Nothing is unknown. Remember our promise. _This will never be over._"

"I don't want it to be over." she whispered.

"I will not allow it." he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "We'll get through this. I promise. It's not the worst that's happened to us."

She pressed her face against his chest trying to get as much of him as possible before he left.

They suddenly heard footsteps behind them. Ulquiorra turned around, and Orihime felt him tense.

She looked behind him and sighed. _What's Ichigo doing here?_

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked calmly.

"This is our last time here. We should talk." Ichigo answered.

Orihime saw Rukia coming up behind Ichigo motioning for her to follow her. Orihime glanced at Ulquiorra, he nodded, and she went after Rukia.

"What do you want to talk about, Kurosaki?"

"I want to set things straight. I hate what I did at the competition."

"That was rather an unusual fight." Ulquiorra mused.

Ichigo shook his head. "Oh hell no. It was a _dirty _fight. You would've won if I played fair."

Ulquiorra shrugged. "What do you want me to say? That I forgive you?"

"I want you to know that I regret what I did. And I don't want Inoue to hate me. If it's possible, then yes, I want forgiveness."

"She doesn't hate you, and neither do I."

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure."

Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. "So, are we good then?"

"I suppose so." Ulquiorra answered dispassionately.

Ichigo looked at him with reluctance. He wanted to say something else, but changed his mind, finally nodding and turning away to leave.

Ulquiorra watched him go. At some point he almost hated Kurosaki, but right now he felt absolutely nothing. Funny how by simply being with Orihime made him forget all of the negativity he felt before.

"That was freaken fast." he heard a loud voice behind him.

"I had no reason to drag that for much longer."

"I didn't know you were so forgiving." Grimmjow said coming up to him.

"I'm not."

"Then what the hell was that all about?"

"I did it for her."

"How fucking sweet." Grimmjow gave a sly grin. "Who would've thought you had it in you."

"You would've done the same." Ulquiorra responded, looking at Orihime laughing at something Rukia said.

* * *

Urahara looked at the paper in his hand. He had to pull some serious strings to get this to come through, and he finally succeeded. They might've lost the competition, but they won a bigger battle at the end. He smiled to himself. _I'll tell them after the party._ This will be _his_ graduation present to them.

He looked around the room. Soon it will be all over and all of these kids will be gone from his life, perhaps forever. He felt sadness, but mostly relief. One crazy year has finally come to an end. The loss at the competition was a little disappointing, but…

On the other hand, perhaps he shouldn't wait until the end of the party. The forlornly looks they cast at each other were almost painful to watch. Urahara stole another glance at the paper before hiding it in his pocket.

**Tokyo University Re-Admission**

**Inoue Orihime**

**

* * *

~**THE END~


End file.
